


The trio plus one

by pink_autumn



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Draco Malfoy Head Boy, F/M, Fluff, Good Draco, Head Girl Hermione Granger, Humor, Lemons, Post War, Smut, double agent, dramione - Freeform, hghb
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2019-03-16 20:34:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13643946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pink_autumn/pseuds/pink_autumn
Summary: Forgiveness is a virtue? Draco Malfoy is good and nobody likes it.With the war over, Draco emerges as a spy of the order. The trio is pissed and who is more pissed? The death eaters. And when a new leader emerges to guide the darkness again, the death eaters turn to the malfoys with a vengeance.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, readers  
> this is my first actual dramione story although i've collabed in a few  
> please give me reviews. Your opinion matters so much.  
> Positive criticism welcomed.  
> WARNINGS: There is a bit of childhood trauma in this story. Also a lot of blood and angst.

Chapter 1.The Spy next door.

She took a deep breath. It was over. The war, Voldemort, danger. But the death eaters remained. She walked through the halls until she found both her best friends and hugged each of them one by one.

Then took a step back looked at their amazing, beautiful, miraculously unharmed faces and all three of them laughed together.

Even though they were standing in a newly rebuilt Ministry of Magic with shackled death eaters led by aurors walking on either sides of them, they were laughing and as they realized the absurdity of the situation, they laughed harder.  
“It’s over ‘mione” Harry said and Hermione nodded fervently, while Ron just slapped Harry’s back and guffawed.

“Not yet it isn’t.” said Professor McGonagall coming towards them. Hermione stopped laughing and turned to her.

 “What do you mean, professor?” Harry and Ron also stopped laughing and turned towards their teacher.

“There are still death eaters left to sentence, Miss Granger.” Ron rolled his eyes. “Just throw the lot in Azkaban.” The professor gave a cursory once over towards Ronald and turned to Hermione and Harry. “And what do you two think about this?” Harry shrugged and Hermione cleared her throat.

“I think that they should all be held up for trial. Not every death eater is evil. Some simply didn’t have a choice when Voldemort took over. It was either join or die.” Hermione ignored Ron’s exasperated expression and continued, “Personally, I think a lot of them might even be under the imperius curse. We cannot send someone to Azkaban without being absolutely sure that they are evil.”

Professor McGonagall smiled proudly and nodded, “exactly what we are trying to do Miss Granger.” She turned towards the two boys, “we need both of you and Miss Granger in the judgment chambers. The trials of some of the more dominant death eaters is going to begin.” She smiled once more at the trio before saying “I am proud of you three.” And hurrying away.

Hermione beamed at her friends. She jumped a little as both the twins joined them.   
“Ron.” Said George.   
“You’re needed.” Said Fred.  
Ron smiled at his brothers, he was extremely happy that the Weasleys had survived the battle alive. “Why?”   
The twins looked at each other than screamed in harmony, “They’re making dad the new minister!!!” Hermione gaped at both twins as Harry and Ron whooped and laughed – a big smile appearing on her face. Nothing could destroy the euphoria she felt right now.

“They thought about Dumbledore first but he wanted to stay headmaster, they thought about Kingsley but he said he wanted to stay an auror. So dad was nominated.” Fred continued and George chimed in, “they need statements from the family too and since we can’t choose our family,”  
“Your statement is needed twerp.” Fred finished. Ron smiled and hugged Harry and Hermione before hurrying away with his brothers.

Harry was whipped away by a journalist who wanted a statement and Hermione found herself walking alone in the corridor leading to the judgment chambers. As she turned a corner she saw Andromeda walking from the other end talking animatedly to someone. Her hair bright pink and her eyes shining. Hermione started towards her but stopped when she noticed who Andromeda was walking _with_. Silver blonde hair, and the same walk of power and arrogance – Draco Malfoy, renowned death eater.

Hermione’s mouth opened in surprise when she noticed that Draco was _not_ in shackles, he wasn’t even restrained. Andromeda and Draco walked past her. Hermione stared at Malfoy. He stared back at her with his gray eyes. While his stare had always held prejudice and contempt before today it was different. His eyes looked tired but had a shine in hem. Both were hidden behind two incredibly dark circles that only made his already creamy complexion look even paler. The years had not been kind to him. There was a good chance that his exhaustion even rivaled her own. It looked like he had not slept in months, maybe longer.

But when his gaze met hers, he grinned a wide grin and Hermione’s already open mouth opened wider. He held the stare for a moment more before winking at her and passing Hermione. Andromeda hadn’t noticed her standing there and continued talking to her nephew.

Hermione kept standing there, trying to wrap her mind around what had just happened. She was still standing when Harry and Ron caught up with her. They stood behind her trying to look at whatever she was looking at before Ron waved his hand in front of her, “Earth to Hermione.” She broke out of her reverie.   
“You all right?” Harry asked. Hermione looked at him and nodded before walking again towards court.

                                                          XXXXXXXX

“Rodopholus Lestrange is sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban prison for the killing and terrorizing of innocent muggles and muggle-borns and aiding Voldemort with no evidence of being imperiused.”  Professor Flitwick announced.

Three death eaters had already been sentenced to the same punishment – Stuart Parkinson, Yaxley and Walden Macnair. Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting with their teachers, the Weasley family, Hagrid in the second row. Dumbledore and the order of the phoenix sat in the first row. The rows overlooked a small platform upon which the criminal stood – awaiting trial. Professor Flitwick stood beside the platform jotting down the details on a piece of parchment.

As Rodopholus was led away, professor Flitwick looked at Dumbledore and nodded once. Dumbledore nodded back and stood up. Hermione turned a little to see her headmaster clearly. He smiled before speaking loudly, “The next trial is a _very_ peculiar case and I want you all,” he looked towards the trio, “to keep your minds open and your hearts clear.” He turned back and nodded towards Flitwick who spoke loudly, “Draco Malfoy.” Hermione straightened up in her chair. Her eyes fixed at the door. From the movement beside her, Harry and Ron were doing the same.

All the previous accused were led in by aurors but Draco Malfoy ambled in –  with a small smile on his face, his eyes shining – with Severus Snape (who had already been vouched for by Harry and Dumbledore and cleared of all charges). He wasn’t restrained and Hermione could see his wand poking out of his jeans. She wasn’t the only one that noticed because as soon as Draco was on the platform, Ron was standing, “Someone take his wand.”

Draco’s smile grew, “I know wandless magic, Weasley.” Ron opened his mouth to say something but was cut off when Dumbledore stood up and shot him a sharp look, “please calm down Mr. Weasley.” Harry pursed his eyebrows, “But professor…” Dumbledore’s gaze went from Ron to Harry. “Let me explain, children, why Mr. Malfoy still has his wand.” _And isn’t restrained,_ Hermione thought.

He waited for Harry to nod before sitting down and giving Snape an A-Okay sign. Snape cleared his throat, “Mr. Malfoy still has his wand and is not restrained” – he glanced briefly towards Hermione, _is he reading my thoughts?_ She thought – before droning on, “Because he is innocent.”

Shouts of outrage filled the chambers and immediately stopped as Dumbledore stood up again – “Silence!!!” he boomed. “Continue Severus.” Snape nodded, “Mr. Malfoy has been working as a spy since birth, aiding me and his father. He has been learning occlumency from me as soon as he could talk. There is no one more skilled at legilemency than him – not even me.” Hermione gasped and glanced at Ron who was red with anger. Harry stood up, “And how are we supposed to believe this?”

Snape looked at Harry before smiling slightly. “Dumbledore and a few other members of the order knew that the Malfoys were spies for the order since the very beginning. Lucius has helped me keep my cover on several occasions even if it meant receiving the cruciatus curse. He has taken the blame for my shortcomings. He has been tortured, beaten and ridiculed multiple times simply so I could stay in Voldemort’s good graces. Narcissa has helped Draco on several occasions and let’s not forget,” Snape glanced at Harry. “She saved Mr. Potter’s life.”

Ron lost all patience as he stood up “Oh please, this coward has done nothing but tried to kill us since day one.” Draco spoke for the first time since entering the chamber, his eyes glinting. “Have I, Weasley?” “Yes.” Ron spat.

Draco took a deep breath before looking at Flitwick, who nodded and spoke, “Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley please stand up.” Hermione took a deep breath before straightening her robes and standing up. Her friends followed suit. Flitwick motioned towards Draco who began, “I have always been near you three, not to _kill_ you but to _protect_ you. I even tried to befriend Potter to stay close to him. But when you wouldn’t be friends I became the next best thing – an enemy.” Before Ron could say something, Hermione – overwhelmed by curiosity spoke – “Protect us how?” Draco turned towards her, the corner of his mouth lifting upwards. “World cup? Fourth year?”

And it came back to her – death eaters, looking for muggle borns, the dark mark – and _him._ He had warned her.  
                                         _Keep that bushy head down, Granger.  
_ “Exactly” Draco said and Hermione realized she had talked out loud. “You warned me?” Draco nodded, “Chamber of secrets, second year, library?” Hermione saw it, the page about basilisks, she had found it on the floor. Waiting there. As if someone… “You left the page?” she gasped and looked up at Draco who smiled “course I did.” he continued, “And not just that. I helped you _all_. During triwizard, I combined my accio with Potter’s to make it strong enough for the broom. During first year I left the book about Nicholas Flamel on your desk Granger.”

“Just because you left a book here and there doesn’t make you a spy, Malfoy.” Ron spat. Snape spoke up, “he has been providing information to the order for over two years, keeping his mind locked from Voldemort, trying to keep his death eater persona up Mr. Weasley.” Ron opened his mouth to retort but Draco cut him off.

“I’ve helped _you_ too Weasley.” He began, “Your brother, the twin, Dolohov had him cornered, wandless. I killed Dolohov to save him just now.” Ron’s face lost color as Fred stood up and corroborated Malfoy’s statement. “He saved me too.” Andromeda said. “Voldemort had caught me and was going to kill me. He helped me escape.” Hermione looked at Harry – whose face was unreadable.

Dumbledore stood up. “Ms. Granger. When you were at the Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix cut your arm. Tell me what happened.” Hermione took a deep breath as the words _mudblood_ burned a bit on her arm. “She used a curse, a very painful one. One which is supposed to hurt more than the cruciatus curse but…” Hermione’s eyes opened wide as her face lost color.   
“But?” asked Dumbledore.  
 She looked at Draco, “It didn’t hurt that much… but how… What did you do?” Draco looked at the floor before mumbling a small “numbing charm.” He looked up at Harry. “I also let you take my wand without a fight when you were at the manor.” Harry nodded. “And the time turner during third year. That was also my idea.” He motioned towards Hermione.

“Please sit down everyone.” Dumbledore began. Everyone took their seats and he continued, “Draco knows about the horcruxes and helped me destroy one of them and destroyed another alone.” _The ring,_ Hermione thought _but another one..._ “Alone?” she mumbled and Harry shrugged.

“Yes, Ms. Granger. There was one more I did not tell you about. Draco destroyed it for us and I assure you. We could not have done it without him.” “What was it?” Harry asked. “A jeweled hairpin. It belonged to Tom Riddle’s girlfriend.” Hermione gasped “Voldemort had a…” Dumbledore smiled at her. “Indeed the dark lord was a peculiar child but he _was_ a boy.” He winked playfully at the crowd. “What happened to her?” “She disappeared Ms. Granger. And Draco found out about her while going through the old Hogwarts records. There was a picture and Tom Riddle had his arm around the girl. Us aurors would have thought nothing of it but Draco did.”  
“And what did he do?” Harry asked.   
“He asked everyone he could. Turned every page around. Spent months awake going through the old records and everything he could find out about the girl. Every picture, every mention of her name until he noticed something peculiar. He noticed she always wore a bejeweled hairpin.”

“It looked familiar.” Draco said. “I had seen it before. Inside my house, I was sure.”  
“So?” Hermione said.   
“So I turned the house upside down till I found it.” “He nearly died while doing so.”  Dumbledore said while Draco waved his hand absently.   
“What did you do once you found it?” asked Ron.   
“I took it to professor Dumbledore. I didn’t know about horcruxes then, just thought it could be a cursed object or something. Dumbledore told me about them and gave me the sword you know… the one that belonged to Godric Gryffindor.”   
Hermione and Harry nodded. Ron grunted. “And…I killed the thing.” Draco smiled, obviously very proud of himself.   
“Did it… fight you?” Hermione asked and Draco’s already pale face became paler as his eyes glazed over. Hermione bit her cheek – immediately regretting her question.   
“Ms. Granger, Draco would rather not talk about it just now.” Dumbledore said kindly and Hermione nodded. Dumbledore thought for a moment before continuing. 

“We simply could not have killed Voldemort if it had not been for the keen eyes of Draco. Even I missed the possibility of any _romance_ in Tom Riddle’s life but Draco picked it up immediately and devoted all his efforts to finding that hairpin.”

Dumbledore looked at Hermione, “He also saved your parents.” Suddenly Hermione couldn’t breathe. They did not remember her anymore. Why would they be targeted? “What?” “The death eaters tracked them and brought them to the manor with a mind to torture them to death or worse – insanity. They didn’t know they were your parents. Simply muggles who had crossed their paths. They found your mother… pretty.” Hermione gasped as her hand flew to cover her mouth. She looked on the verge of tears.

“Nothing happened Granger, trust me.” Draco said. “Draco saw an opportunity and restored their memories before helping them escape and delivering them to the order. You can meet them soon enough.” Dumbledore finished.

Hermione looked at Malfoy – her sworn enemy since first year and felt gratitude so deep, her eyes began to tear again. “I vouch for Draco Malfoy as innocent.” Draco looked at her and grinned.   
 “Here here!” Drawled Severus Snape.   
“I vouch for Draco Malfoy as innocent.” Said Fred.   
“I vouch for Draco Malfoy as innocent.” Said George.    
“I vouch for Draco Malfoy as innocent.” Said Dumbledore.   
“I vouch for Draco Malfoy as innocent.” Said Snape.   
“I vouch for Draco Malfoy as innocent.” Said Andromeda.   
“I vouch for Draco Malfoy as innocent.” Said Kingsley.   
“I vouch for Draco Malfoy as innocent.” Said Harry Potter. “Draco Malfoy – is cleared of all charges and released as a free citizen…and a hero,” Flitwick said.

And the journalist took a picture there and then, which was printed in the following day’s prophet. It was an article telling of Draco’s innocence. A smiling Draco was at the top and under him was the headline. “THE GOLDEN TRIO PLUS ONE.” 

 


	2. All Aboard

CHAPTER 2. ALL ABOARD!

“I simply refuse to believe this,” Ron started. He was sitting cross legged on the floor in his room in the burrow. Hermione was sitting on his bed reading a career brochure with Harry. She looked up at Ron and rolled her eyes. “Ron it’s been a week, just let the bloody article go already.” Harry looked up too, “You’re being obsessive mate.” Ron huffed before picking up a page of the daily prophet and shoving it to their faces. “THE GOLDEN TRIO PLUS ONE.”

Harry shrugged, “we can’t help what the prophet writes Ron. And it isn’t entirely untrue.” Hermione nodded in agreement, her eyes returning to the brochure. “Listen to this,” Ron began to recite an article the three of them had already memorized. “ _The youngest Malfoy, has ensured the survival of the wizarding community by bravely lying to Voldemort’s face and putting his life in danger every day. He is a true hero. As is the entire Malfoy family. We urge the wizarding community to show their love to these heroes and let go of chauvinistic hatred against them._ ” He finished reading with a disgusted grunt and turned to his friends, “Can you believe it? A _true hero!_ UGGGH!!!” He tossed the article away as Hermione straightened up.

“He did destroy a horcrux Ron and you of all people know how difficult that is,” she said.

“Are you defending him?” Harry asked. “We destroyed horcruxes too Hermione.”

Hermione shrugged, “Yeah we did. But atleast we had each other. He had nobody.”

“But still herms, he’s frickin Malfoy!” Ron said, “I just _cannot_ think of him as a good guy. He’s… he’s… he’s evil and stupid and insufferable and it’s too bloody weird and my head’s gonna explode!”

“Well you’re gonna hope it happens soon,” said Ginny, entering the room looking very sullen.

“What’s got you?” Harry asked.

Ginny exhaled and showed him what she was holding – four letters. “Hogwarts letters,” Ginny said. “WHAT?!!” all the three friends screamed and stood up, snatching the letters with their names away. Badges dropped from all three.  
“Quiddich captain,” said Harry.   
“Prefect,” said Ron  
“Head girl!” chimed Hermione and all four of them clapped and laughed before turning back to her letters. The three of them had nearly the same classes. Ron and Harry’s matched completely whereas Hermione had double potions and arithmacy.

“It says eighth year.” Harry said.   
“Mine says sixth year,” said Ginny. “They’re declaring last year void because no one really _learned_ anything.”  
“Except the cruciatus curse,” Ron chortled.   
“Not funny,” Hermione chastised.   
“A little funny,” Harry smirked, causing Hermione to give him the signature eye roll.

She took a deep breath before turning the letter over to reveal the name of the head boy – and screamed.   
“What?” Ginny rushed over. Harry picked up the letter that had fallen from Hermione’s hands and turned it over. “AHHH!!” He screamed, dropping the letter. Ron rolled his eyes at Harry and muttered a small “Overdramatic,” under his breath before bending down and picking the letter up and turning it over.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!!!” he screamed throwing the letter away as if it was contaminated. Ginny snatched it from the air and read the name on the back side of the letter, her mouth forming a noiseless OH-MY-GOD.   
“ _WHAT IN MERLIN’S NAME ARE THEY THINKINGG?!!”_ Ron screamed. Hermione still stood there dumbfounded. Harry turned to stand in front of her, his eyes as wide as saucers. Placing both his hands on Hermione’s shoulder he said placating, “It’ll be fine Herms, I’m sure it isn’t…” he couldn’t finish.   
“Isn’t what?!” Ron shouted, “They made that git HEAD BOY!!! THEY _CANNOT_ BE SERIOUS!!!”   
“They prolly aren’t,” Harry said, picking the letter up and looking at it again.

Hermione lifted her head a bit and looked at Ginny who was looking back at her – standing in the same place where she had read the name of the future head boy. And Hermione knew that Ginny was thinking the same thing she was.  
                                                       XXXXXXXX

                                        _TWO DAYS AGO…_   
_Hermione was lying next to Ginny, their backs to the roof of Ginny’s room as they propped up on their elbows and read the article – “_ THE GOLDEN TRIO PLUS ONE” _while Ginny and Hermione tried to figure out every time Draco Malfoy might have helped them during Hogwarts._

_“He pushed me once during potions,” Hermione said uncertainly, “And a second later Ron’s cauldron exploded and a fire started right where I was standing.” She finished and looked at Ginny, who giggled._

_“Awww,” she cooed and Hermione nudged her with her shoulder. “Shurrup!” Hermione said – a small smile on her lips. She put away the article and turned around to lie on her back and sighed. “I miss Hogwarts.”_

_“Ughh! We’re going back, anyways.” Ginny said and immediately regretted it. “Sorry, it’s supposed to be a surprise.”_

_Hermione turned to look at her with a grin that could put the Cheshire cat to shame. “REALLY?!” she chirped. Ginny looked at her best friend for a second before smiling and shaking her head. “Only you can have that reaction to school,” she ignored Hermione’s eye roll and continued, “I heard dad talking about it to Fred and George. They think that my brothers should finish eighth year too but they don’t want to.”_

_Hermione nodded, “They really should give it serious thought. With Voldemort gone – studies will again start being a concern and Wheezes could surely benefit…” Hermione stopped talking as she noticed Ginny had zoned out. Then she thought for a moment before smiling sheepishly and asking Ginny. “So… who do think will be head?”_

_Ginny lied on her back and laughed, “Obviously you’d be head girl.” Hermione smiled and bit her lip, “You think so?”_

_Ginny rolled her eyes dramatically, “Darling, I know so.”  
Hermione smiled again before pursing her eyebrows, “Do you think Harry’ll be head boy?” _

_Ginny shrugged, “Maybe.” Then smirked, “But with the publicity Malfoy is getting, I won’t be shocked if he gets the badge.”_

_Hermione looked at Ginny as both of them imagined Draco Malfoy as Head boy, before laughing simultaneously.  
Hermione shrugged, “If you say it, it won’t come true,” and started laughing again._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

PRESENT DAY…

Ginny broke the stare and immediately kicked a screaming Ron and a very shocked Harry out of the room with a one-word explanation – “Girls talk.” Hermione looked at her before whispering, “I can’t believe it.” Ginny nodded fervently. “Neither can I.”  
“Did you know? Did Mr. Weasley or someone –”  
“– No Hermione. We were joking. _I was_ joking.”  
“I can’t believe it.”  
“Yeah… you said that.”  
“What am I gonna do?”   
“Maybe he’ll turn the post down.”

Hermione slumped down on the bed. The Draco Malfoy she knew from school would’ve surely turned down any shred of responsibility. But the Draco Malfoy she knew wasn’t the actual Draco Malfoy.   
“He won’t.” Hermione said, very certain.  
Ginny sat down beside her tentatively. “What’re you going to do?”  
Hermione whipped her head to face her “ _I_ could turn it down.”

Ginny suddenly felt very angry. “Hermione Granger you will _not_ let your academic dream go to waste because an idiot is head boy.” Hermione tried to smile.

“How will I survive?”  
“Oh please, you’re speaking of him as if he’s the freaking grim reaper,” Ginny said placing a hand on Hermione’s shoulder. “You’ll manage.”

                                       XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

“Are you ready?!” Ginny shouted from outside the bathroom.   
“Just a minute.” Hermione said. She turned back to the mirror. She had her robes on – the head girl badge glimmering on her chest. Wand in one hand, a book in the other, she was trying to dismantle the bird’s nest that was her hair. When they were untangled and dropping down her shoulders in light waves, she nodded at her reflection in the mirror.

She opened the bathroom door and walked outside. Her trunk was packed and Crookshanks was also in her travel basket. She bid farewell to the burrow and rushed downstairs. The house was empty except for the twins playing wizard’s chess on the table.

Hermione raised her eyebrows at them,   
“Outside,” Fred said.  
“Waiting.” George finished.

Hermione nodded and turned to eave but stopped when Fred called her name softly – half hoping she wouldn’t hear. But she did and turned. Fred half shrugged and said very reluctantly, “Thank that blond git for me, will ya?”

Hermione smiled crookedly and nodded once, “Bye guys.”  
“Bubye,” they said turning back to their game.

Hermione ran outside. Everyone was already seated in a black ministry car apart from Mrs. Wesley who was outside waiting for her. She waved away the apology and ushered her in.

Hermione let out a deep breath when the door closed after her. She looked around at Harry beside her and Ron and Ginny in front of them. They smiled simultaneously before Hermione screamed, “HOGWARTS!!” All aboard rolled their eyes at her.  
“Hogwarts.” Harry said halfheartedly.   
“Joy!” Ron mimicked Hermione’s enthusiasm – but his bored face kinda gave him away while Ginny just muttered an “hmm” under her breath.

Hermione shrugged and turned away from them to look out the window and smiled. “Hogwarts,” she whispered against the glass, her breath misting the window. No one could really understand the love she had for the place.

In her world she’d always been different but in Hogwarts she was accepted. Her abilities encouraged. She smiled again, running a finger across the badge pinned to her robes.

She had already pep talked herself into not panicking over Draco Malfoy being Head boy but as the distance to the station decreased, her dread increased. She took in a deep breath and exhaled just as the car stopped.

Her friends were talking about Quiddich – so didn’t really think a lot when she quietly got out and slowed till everyone had passed her and she was at the back of the crowd.

Still deep in thought, Hermione registered the platforms labeled 9 and 10 and Harry and Ron running towards it and disappearing. Ginny followed suit, so did Mrs. Weasley but Mr. Weasley looked back at her. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his brows pursing.

Hermione closed her eyes and opened them again – trying not to panic and bring the world back to focus. She looked up at Mr. Weasley. “I just… I can’t believe we’re going back,” she started, “That _I’m_ going back.” Mr. Weasley smiled the fatherly smile she was so accustomed to.

“Hermione, a great man once said that it’s okay to see darkness and close your eyes, to see a monster and feel fear, to flinch when you hear thunder. But we must remember to open our eyes once the darkness abates, to fight that monster despite our fear, and to ready ourselves for the rain when the thunder stops.”

Hermione grinned, “Who said that?”  
“Your current Minister of Magic,” Mr. Weasley winked and Hermione laughed. He placed a hand over her head and leaned down a little, “I’m not saying the darkness is gone…” Mr. Weasley thought for a moment before continuing. “…just that the worst of it is over.” He stood back up straight and nudged Hermione towards the brick wall.

She smiled and mouthed a “thank you” to Mr. Weasley before running towards the platform – filled with a new energy. Who cares that Draco Malfoy is Head? Who cares that he’s good? Who cares that he’s a hero? _Not me!_ Hermione thought, _problem solved, tension over!_

She stepped to the bustling platform and found herself two feet from a very happy Draco Malfoy – laughing at something Theo Nott had said. She sucked in her breath. _Not over! Tension not effing over._

Noticing eyes on himself, Draco stopped laughing and turned his face towards Hermione. “Sup head girl?” he said, smiling a crooked smile. Hermione narrowed her eyes. _Oh, he knows,_ she thought.

“Hermione!!!” Ginny shouted to her, running to where she was standing. “Where have you been?” she placed both her hands on her hips but stopped short when she saw Draco next to her. “Oh,” she said. Hermione turned on the spot, grabbed Ginny by the elbow before she could say anything else and jumped on the train, completely ignoring Ginny’s questions.

Following the noise of Ron’s mom crying she finally found her friends just as the train started to move. Bidding Mrs. Weasley a goodbye from the train window, she searched around for Mr. Weasley but couldn’t see him. She shrugged, _probably ministry business._

The train started and the four friends kept waving at Mrs. Weasley till she was out of sight. Then they sat down. Ginny kept asking about Draco but Hermione stayed resolutely quiet, nose buried in a book as Ron and Harry continued talking Quiddich tactics. Finally she gave up and left the trio to find her Luna – but not before she had muttered “This conversation is _not_ over,” to Hermione. Hermione waved her away and again concentrated on the book.

Not two minutes later, Ron was tapping her shoulder. She looked up and raised her eyebrows. “Aren’t heads supposed to have umm… a pre meeting before the prefects join?” he said tentatively, “I mean you would’ve blown our heads off if we didn’t like… remind you so…” he shrugged sitting back down next to Harry, who was looking at her with concerned eyes

Hermione took a deep breath. _I can do this. But first…_ she turned to her friends and grinned. “Cheer up guys!” she said. Ron sighed while Harry muttered a “Good luck.” Hermione laughed “Honestly, boys. I can handle Malfoy. I’ve been doing it all my life remember.” Ron nodded, looking a little uplifted, “Sure herms, but if he gives you _any_ problems…”   
“He won’t,” Hermione assured him.

Both boys nodded before Harry said “good luck,” again. Hermione flipped her hair off her shoulders dramatically. “I don’t need luck, boy who lived.” Harry laughed. Hermione left the cabin and the smile fell off her face.   
“ _I_ so _need luck,”_ she thought heading towards the meetings room at the end of the train.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and review


	3. Acts of Vengeance

CHAPTER 3. ACTS OF VENGEANCE.

 _Who cares that Draco Malfoy is Head? Who cares that he’s good? Who cares that he’s a hero?_ Hermione repeated that mantra in her head until she reached the meeting room. It was a cabin slightly bigger than a normal one with a sturdier door – to prevent eavesdropping.

“ _I got this.”_ Hermione thought, sliding the door of the cabin open. “ _I positively affirmatively definitely clearly absolutely do not got this,”_ hermione thought as soon as she saw Draco sitting inside, staring intently at her – his signature smirk or smile, or whatever hybrid thing he used playing on his lips.

She muttered a small “hi” and sat down. Very away from him, as away as was physically possible without falling to the floor.

 _Who cares that Draco Malfoy is Head? Who cares that he’s good? Who cares that he’s a hero?_ The mantra repeated _. Who cares that Draco Malfoy is Head? Who cares that he’s good? Who cares that he’s a hero? Who cares that he’s very hot? … wait WHAT?!_ Hermione shook her head a little to clear it.

From her peripheral vision she could see Draco Malfoy still staring at her. Finally she spoke, “So… we should talk.” Draco smirked, “So talk.” Hermione didn’t talk but kept staring at her thumbs twirling over each other in her lap. When the silence between them had become thick enough to cut with a knife, she looked at him.

He sat – staring at her, smirking, completely unfazed. Hermione tried again, “So… what do you wanna talk about?”  
Draco shrugged, “You’re the know-it-all.”  
“umm… I don’t know.”  
“Did I just hear Hermione Granger say, I don’t know?”  
Hermione rolled her eyes, “Yeah you did.”  
“Let’s talk about how cool I am?”  
It took Hermione a second to register what he had said before she turned to face him, “What?” she asked.   
“I am cool, right?”  
Hermione kept staring at him before realizing he was serious. “Uhh,” she said, “I guess? A little?”

Draco looked at her a moment before bursting out laughing. “I’m kidding Granger,” he said, “Let’s talk about duties?”  
Hermione nodded fervently, glad that they were talking about something serious. They talked for about fifteen minutes about prefect duty and night patrols. She let Draco talk because well… he was smart. Hermione zoned out and gave Draco a once over.

Same face, Platinum blonde hair, stone-gray eyes (though soft and happy then they usually were.), creamy white skin, strong, pointed features. Slightly older, slightly darkened by the effects of war, but the same. How could a person be the same outside but so different inside. How could someone be two persons at once? She couldn’t even properly be a Bellatrix for ten minutes, she smiled at the thought.

“Hermione?” she snapped her head up at the sound of her name. _Hermione? Hermione?! HERMIONE!!!!?????????_ Her eyes opened wide as she heard Draco Malfoy call her name.

“What?” he asked.   
“You just…” hermione stopped midsentence, thinking that it’d be rude but Draco caught the gist and rolled his eyes.  
“I said “Granger” like thrice… but you were smiling in neverland so…” he shrugged. “Anyways,” he said, “Is it cool if I pair Ron with Pansy and Ginny with Theo?” Hermione raised her eyebrows, Ginny and Theo were okay- even a good idea but Ron and Pansy… prolly not so good.   


“Why the sudden lion with snake spirit?” Hermione tried to joke.   
Draco groaned, “Apparently we are supposed to spread a disease.”  
“What disease?” Hermione’s brows furrowed.   
“Inter house unity,” Draco said, crunching up his nose.  
Hermione resisted the urge to smile at how adorable he looked. Wait what?! _Control Hermione._  
There was a faint knock on the door before it opened and the prefects started filing in. Pansy and Theo Nott from Slytherin, Ron and Ginny from Gryffindor, Hannah and Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff, and Luna and this guy hermione had never seen from Ravenclaw.

Everyone sat at both sides of the heads, Hermione tried to ignore how everyone was staring at Malfoy – some with intrigue, some with anger. Ron was particularly enthusiastic in the latter category.

Hermione cleared her throat. “Welcome prefects,” she nodded towards everyone but stopped when she saw the new Ravenclaw and raised her eyebrows. He grinned before Draco spoke.   
“The new prefect from Ravenclaw is Aaron Connors. He’s a transfer from Durmstrang.” Hermione nodded along with everyone else, except Ron who was still continuing his death stare at Draco.

Hermione smirked at Ron and rolled her eyes. “The duties have been divided amongst all of you. Night patrols will also be conducted on daily basis,” Hermione motioned towards Draco. He leaned in a bit before looking at the parchment in his hand.

“Uhhh okay… Theo, you’re with weaselette for Mondays and Tuesdays.” Ginny sucked in a sharp breath but remained silent upon seeing the pleading look from Hermione. Draco, oblivious, continued.  
“Loony… is with Ernie. New guy,” he looked up at Aaron for a split second, “you are with... Hannah.” Aaron nodded and smiled at Hannah beside him.  
“Weasel,” he looked at Ron who clenched his fists. Smirking he turned back to the parchment, _okay, so maybe not that oblivious._ “You’re with Parkinson.”   
Pansy and Ron screamed a “What?!” together.

Draco looked up, “What?”   
“What?!!” the pair said again.   
“WHAT?!!” Draco screamed.   
“I’m not patrolling with your… with your…” Ron started. Draco stood up.  
“With my _what?”_  
“With your _slag.”_ Several people gasped – including hermione. Draco started towards him but before he could do anything, Pansy had turned on the spot raised her hand and slapped Ron across the face.

Ron stared at her for a minute before he started stuttering, “I didn’t mean… I wasn’t… you’re… you...” Pansy raised her hand, “Save it.” She turned to Draco, “I’ll be patrolling the east and he can do the west.” And stormed out. Draco smirked at sat back down again. “Good work, Weaselbee.”

“Fuck you.” he glared at Draco. “Now now weasel, children present.”  
Ron walked towards Draco till their faces were two inches apart. Draco smirked – unfazed and unflinching.

“You might have everyone fooled, Malfoy but not me,” he hissed at Draco’s face.   
“Meaning?” he whispered back.  
“You might not be a death eater but you _are_ a coward.” Ron smirked as Draco’s fell off his face and turned and left.

Hermione was still sitting. She had been expecting it just not this soon. “Meeting concluded, prefects,” she said wearily before putting her head between his hands. Draco was the first to exit the cabin. Hermione kept her face covered as she heard people walking out. She looked up when someone put a hand on her shoulder, expecting it to be Ginny or Luna. Her eyebrows rose a bit when she saw Theo standing there looking a bit confused.

“Uhh… it’ll be okay?” he said.  
Hermione laughed before nodding.  
“He was expecting Weasley to do something it’s just…” Hermione nodded, encouraging him to continue.  
“It’s just Parkinson is sort of like the sister Draco never had so… tell your Weasley to give her a break will you.”

Hermione nodded and stared after Theo as he walked out. She stood up and walked to their own cabin. Ron sat there staring resolutely out the window. When she entered, Harry raised his head from “Quidditch through the ages” and looked at her expectantly. He was probably wondering what had Ron’s mood. Hermione shook her head wearily and Harry nodded before turning back to his book.

Two seconds after Hermione sat down, Ron started. “That fucking git, I am so gonna kill him.”  
Hermione rolled her eyes as Harry looked at Ron and smirked, “that bad huh?”   
“He put me with effing Pansy for patrolling,” Ron fumed, “I mean eww.” Harry furrowed his eyebrows and ran a hand through his messy hair.   
“She isn’t that bad.” He said.  
Ron turned, “Yeah she is. I mean she’s slytherin and I’m Gryffindor. He did it just to anger me.”

Hermione sat and listened growing angrier and angrier until Ron said, “He’s a coward is what he is, the bastard,” That did it and hermione screamed, “STOP!!!”

Both Harry and Ron turned towards her. Harry raised his eyebrows. “He did not put Pansy with you to get a _rise,_ Ronald Weasley. It’s interhouse unity. He hates it just as much as you do. If you haven’t noticed he put his best friend with Ginny. But you just cannot help it can you? The first meeting and you just _had_ to start a fight!.” She finished breathing hard, her voice having risen up a few octaves.

Ron looked at Harry for help who raised both his hands and shrugged.

                                                  XXXX

“Gryffindor, the house of bold.  
Ravenclaw, where intellect dwells.  
Hufflepuff the extraordinarily ordinary.  
Slytherin the cunning and sly!!!”

The sorting hat – newly repaired – finished its song and thunderous applause ran through the great hall. The first years filed in. Hermione looked at the newcomers and smiled. She furrowed her eyebrows when she saw a girl walking at the end of the crowd. She had an extremely pretty face – pale skin, ice blue eyes and dark hair. Her cheeks were hollowed a little giving her cheekbones a Greek-like definition. She looked familiar for some reason.

She looked to her right and saw Harry talking to Ron. She nudged him and pointed at the girl. Harry’s smiling eyes turned to the girl, “She’s hot.” Suddenly, his smile fell as he doubled over in pain. His hand reaching towards his scar.

Hermione stared at Harry as Ron shook him a bit.  
“Mate, you okay?”  
“SLYTHERIN!!!” the sorting hat announced as soon as the girl – Sophie Riley – was sorted. Hermione saw Draco stand up and hurry inside the castle.  
What is going on?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and review.  
> xxx


	4. COLLATERAL BEAUTY:

She didn’t know why she was doing what she was doing. She stood up and weaved through the crowd of students.   
“Hermione?” Ron called behind her but she kept running – out the halls and through the corridor Draco had gone a minute earlier. She found herself in a deserted corridor that was under renovation since the battle of Hogwarts. She kept walking – opening a few doors and finding the rooms empty. She didn’t know what she was looking for. The old Hermione would never have ventured through deserted corridors looking for the old Draco.

Hermione was thinking about going back to the Hall when she took another step and the air around her changed. It felt as if she had walked through an invisible wall. But Hermione Granger knew exactly what she had walked through – “silencing spell,” she whispered.  
And as if to punctuate her words an ear splitting, deafening scream reverberated through the corridor. She instinctively took a step back and the screams stopped. Hermione was breathing fast, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She drew out her wand and walked on – the screams returned as soon as she crossed the spell’s threshold.

She followed them to a classroom. She stood outside.   
“I’m trying Draco, hold on.”   
Hermione’s eyes widened. That was Snape and that means… the screams were Draco’s. The guttural, almost animalistic screams were _wayyy_ different than the sarcastic, antagonizing drawl she was accustomed to.

She stood outside, trying to decide whether to go inside or not when the door opened and Professor Snape came out. His usual poise and intimidating calm was completely absent from his face as his alarmed – and scared – eyes met Hermione.

“Miss Granger, inside. Right now,” he went back into the classroom. Hermione, knowing better than to argue, followed suit.

Draco had been magically bound to a chair. His silver hair sticking to his forehead, his eyes squeezed shut in agony. He was biting his lips so as not to scream but he wasn’t succeeding and after every two or three seconds, his eyes widened and he screamed in pain. Hermione brows furrowed when she looked at his robes. The left sleeve had been singed off and underneath it – the dark mark smoked and glowed all the shades of red.

Hermione hurried to the potions professor who was leaning over Draco’s mark – whispering something that out of all the things sounded to Hermione like Sam Smith’s Say You Won’t Let Go in some magical language.

Before she could get a better ear at what Snape was whispering, however, the professor was thrown across the room and hit the wall. As if pushed by some magical force field. Snape crumbled to the floor. Hermione hurried towards him to help but he stood up quickly.

“I am trying to get inside his mind Ms. Granger but something is blocking me,” Snape said. He grabbed Hermione by the arm and guided her towards the writhing Draco. “Take your wand out and point it here,” he instructed, gesturing to the amber glowing dark mark. Hermione followed the instructions, her wand hand shaking badly. “Perfect. Now keep repeating _armoriaa_ over it,” Snape turned and with a “be right back” left the classroom.

As soon as Snape was gone Hermione turned and started whispering _armoriaa_ over the mark. She knew it was a pain-killing spell. One that kept dark magic at bay – a similar one was being used currently at the headmaster’s burnt hand. Soon the mark stopped glowing and smoking and Draco lay back – panting as if he had ran a mile.

Hermione kept at it. Repeating the spell over and over. Draco looked at her, at how focused she looked. How concentrated. How utterly ridiculous.

“What are you laughing at?!” Hermione snapped.  
“Nothing. You just …” Draco broke off as his face twisted in pain and he screamed again. Hermione felt a hard push on her back and found herself flying through darkness. Draco melted before her as she fell.

 _NO NOT YOU NOT YOU. GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!!!!_ Hermione tried to make sense of what was happening and realization hit her with the force of a flying quaffle. “I’m in your mind,” she whispered.  
_YES YOU ARE GET OUT!!!! GET THEO OR BLAISE OR SNAPE. GET THE FUCK OUT!!!_

“Language,” Hermione chastised and holding up her wand plunged again into the darkness.

FUCK NO!! GET OUT!!!!

Draco continued to scream but she shut him out. The sudden pain had weakened the barriers and let her inside. She needed to find the thing that was causing this. Professor Snape might not get a chance.

She came to a halt in a dark green painted room. The only furniture was a brown leather armchair turned away from her. Hermione walked towards it, wand held high – she didn’t know whether you could get hurt during leglimency but she wasn’t taking the chance.

Before she got close enough to touch the chair however, it turned. And she met the silver grey eyes of Draco Malfoy. “Hello, Mudblood,” he drawled.

Hermione gasped. Memories didn’t talk. What was this? “You’re not Malfoy.” Hermione knew that with certainty. He had the same features but they were hostile. The silver grey eyes were turned up at the corners where the whites merged to a dark and cancerous black. His teeth were sharp and too many for his small mouth. The correct term would’ve been “You’re not human” rather than “You’re not Malfoy.”

The thing in the armchair smiled. “Of course I’m not Malfoy you stupid girl,” he leered.  
“Than what are you?”  
“I am your damnation,” he grinned his too offensive grin again. Hermione felt herself being tugged out of Draco’s mind. She focused on staying in but the Malfoy-who-wasn’t-Malfoy was dissolving in front of her.  
“What do you want with Draco?!” Hermione screamed, trying to stay inside his mind.  
The thing glided forward and bent towards Hermione until their faces were inches apart. He touched Hermione’s _mudblood_ scar and whispered “vengeance.”

She felt herself pushed back with so much force, she was sure she’d hit a wall and break her back. But she only passed through the wall and entered another memory. She scrambled to her her feet and looked around.

_I SWEAR GRANGER, GET OUT OR IM GOING TO PERSONALLY SLAUGHTER YOU!!!_

“Shut up, Malfoy!” Hermione looked around. It was a huge room with a mahogany bed and green and silver curtains. The bed looked recently slept in. A side door opened and Draco ambled inside. Naked from the waist up, wearing black slacks that were in the imminent danger of falling off. Hermione shut her eyes as he walked towards her but he passed through her as if she was a ghost.

Hermione heard a distant _GET THE FUCK OUT GRANGER, I’M WARNING YOU.  
_ Hermione turned around and saw Draco walking towards a closet. He swung the doors open and immediately took a couple steps back. A black mist emerged out. “Boggart.” Hermione whispered.

She saw Draco taking out his wand. He pointed it to the amorphous shape and suddenly froze. The shape had become Draco – only different. His sneer was more poisonous then the actual Draco’s and he stood above a body. A dead body. Hermione gasped. HER DEAD BODY.

The body changed to Harry’s, changed again to Professor Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa before turning back to her.

“Whaa?!!” The half-naked Draco started.  
“You think you’re good?” the boggart Draco said, “This is what you are. This is what you’re gonna become. And the person you try to save. She’ll be dead.”  
The real dream Draco raised his wand, “No she won’t.”

_GET OUT GRANGER…PLEASE._

Hermione wasn’t one to be told twice. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to fall. She opened them in the deserted classroom floor, with the still bound Draco glaring at her.   
“If I wasn’t bound right now, Granger. I would strangle you.”  
Hermione breathed rapidly, “Consider me strangled.”

Snape rushed into the room, followed by Theo Nott, Blaise Zabini and Professor McGonagall. The stopped abruptly when they saw Hermione on the floor and Draco, not screaming anymore. Snape turned his piercing glare at Hermione.   
“ _What_ did you do?”   
Hermione explained the entire thing, leaving the Hermione-killing-boggart out. Snape listened with rapt attention. Asking rare questions. Theo drew a sketch based on Hermione’s description of the damnation-Draco. It was so accurate that Hermione looked at Theo with new respect – and surprise.

“I just drew a pissed off Draco alien,” Theo winked, ignoring Draco’s glare.  
Zabini just leaned against the doorframe, talking to the newly unbound Draco.

Hermione had expected gruesome death as soon as the bonds came off Draco but he slumped against Theo and Zabini as if he had no strength left in him. Even now he sat slumped next to the doorframe looking up at the standing Zabini and talking slowly. Theo stood at the other corner with Professor McGonagall, nodding while the professor talked.

Snape listened to everything Hermione said and leaned in a bit. “And you’re not leaving _anything_ out are you?”   
Hermione narrowed her eyes, “No, sir.”  
Snape nodded curtly.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

“They didn’t announce the heads because both of you were AWOL,” Theo explained as he and Zabini supported Draco, much to Draco’s displeasure, towards their shared dorms. Hermione had been too busy to start hyperventilating about the fact that they were gonna share accommodations. Now however, there was no convenient screaming Draco to get her mind off of the fact that she was going to live with her enemy of seven years and her ally for the last seventeen.

As the came in view of the portrait that held the head dorms, she saw two boys leaning against the adjacent wall. Ron’s gaze flickered from Hermione to Draco – who was still leaning on his two friends.  
“Job well done, ‘Mione,” Ron chortled.

Draco flicked his hand and Ron got pushed back hard against the wall. “Job well done, Draco,” Theo said while Zabini laughed. Draco said “lake” to the portrait of the lake (apparently it was a mixture of the words “lion” and “snake” and not lake) and went inside with his friends.

“You okay, Hermione?” Harry said, actual concern in his eyes. Hermione felt guilt for leaving her friends.  
“I’m okay Harry. You’re okay?”   
Harry shrugged a goofy shrug.   
“Oh, he’s perfect, the drama queen,” Ron said and the three friends laughed.

Hermione sighed, “Come on in guys, I gotta tell you stuff.”  
Harry’s face fell, “I knew it.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.

“So…it isn’t over?” Harry flinched.

“Professor Snape is positive Voldemort is dead. He just thinks there’s a new evil rising.”

“And the fact that this… this _thing_ looks exactly like Draco Malfoy is irking nobody?” Ron spoke for the first time. Hermione scowled at him.

“Ron, Malfoy _was_ the one writhing and screaming in pain.” Hermione stared at the ceiling of the Head’s joint common room. Draco had gone to his room to sleep and Theo and Blaise had left.

“Also…” Hermione said thoughtfully, “the thing said it wanted vengeance against Malfoy.”

Ron smirked, “good riddance?” he asked.

“He helped us Ron,” Harry frowned at his best friend before breathing deeply and turning to Hermione.

“Hermione,” he started, “If need ever arises, I have Malfoy’s back.”

Hermione beamed at him, “Same.”

“UGHH!!! WHATEVER!!!” Ron shrugged and began brooding.


	5. I’m losing to you, baby. I’m no match.

_Okay… this is very weird.  
_ Hermione looked around the place that was probably her third home. The library. _A dream,_ she thought, _I’m dreaming._ But these books were not library books. She looked around and realization dawned. This was not the Hogwarts library. She studied the family crest on the mahogany bookcase.

Malfoy manor. Hermione flinched as bad memories came back to her. Memories that just refused to stay away and blur slowly to nothingness. She closed her eyes to take a deep breath but opened them quickly when she felt Bellatrix’s breath on her face. Musk, leather, death.

She fumbled back a few steps, breathing rapidly but thankfully, found no crazy Lestrange leering at her. She shook her head – memories.

She screamed when she felt someone tap her shoulder and turned so abruptly she fell. The person who had tapped her, however, caught her swiftly before she hit her head on the ground and had a dream concussion. Hermione looked up to see silver grey eyes staring into hers.

Hermione’s skin heated up, as she felt Draco tense. She regained her footing and smacked Draco on his arm. _Oh wow muscles…wait what?_

“What are you doing in my dream?” she asked.   
“No, what are you doing in my dream?”  
“Your dream? How is this your dream?”   
“My house, my library, my books ergo,” he smirked, “my dream.”

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned her back which was Hermione Granger equivalence of shut the fuck up. Draco was not that understanding. He kept making irritable noises until Hermione finally turned back to him.

“What?!” she hissed.  
“We’re sharing dreams,” he raised his eyebrows, “I mean how creepy is that?”  
“On a scale of my life, not that much.”

Hermione started walking in a random direction just to put some distance between her and Malfoy, and breathed in relief when he did not follow her but took off in the opposite direction.

Hermione walked on, admiring the books and wondering why her dream was connected to Draco Malfoy of all people. Maybe they were sleeping in adjacent room and had floated in the same dream bubble? Hermione smiled, shaking away the thought.

She turned from a corner and saw Malfoy’s silhouette a few feet away. He seemed to be examining a book, turned away from her.

Maybe he had had better luck finding the way out of this shared dream bubble.  
“What did you find?” she asked.

Draco turned towards her and… oh shit…  
“You, darling,” her damnation said, the brightest grin on his face.  
His teeth now looked regular but those too pointy too cancerous too inhuman eyes were unmistakable. So was his sneer.

Hermione breathed deeply as she turned her head to scream to Malfoy – the actual one.   
“Uh uh, dear,” Damnation Draco said as he flicked his hand.

Pain hit her in waves, as she crumbled over. Her jumper sleeve started burning as the words _mudblood_ glowed red in the dim library light. From the other end of the library she heard a scream matching her own.

The Damnation thingy came close to her and leaned down, stroking her face with a hand that felt like wet moss.   
“We’ll see each other soon, love.”

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Her eyes fluttered open as she continued thrashing in the bed. As soon as she calmed down, she turned her head and saw a hole in her favorite lilac jumper. The words on her skin glowed red as they leered at her.

Grabbing her cloak she stumbled and fumbled to her bedroom door. She flung it open and collided in a grey wool clad chest. _Citrus, wood, campfire, parchment. Mmm… that smells like…_ Hermione stepped back. “Malfoy?”

Draco stood near her door, his fist suspended in midair, ready to knock. His face looked anxious and when Hermione looked down, sure enough, the dark mark was peering from under a hole in his sweater. She looked up and saw Malfoy staring at her arm. She waited for his eyes to return to her face. When they didn’t however…

“You can stop staring, now.”  
Draco’s eyes refocused and Hermione realized he hadn’t been staring. He had been revisiting the night she revisited every time she saw those scars. Their eyes met for a split second before they turned away.

“I wasn’t…” Draco started.   
“Doesn’t matter,” Hermione muttered, “come on.”

They went through the head’s joint common room before going out the portrait and heading in opposite directions. Hermione – towards Dumbledore’s office. Draco – towards Snape’s. They both turned to see the other walking away.  
“Where are you...” both began.   
“Snape’s,” said Draco.   
“Dumbledore’s” said Hermione.   
“Oh shut up, Fred,” said George.

Both Draco and Hermione turned sharply to see the redhead twins ambling through the corridors. Fred nudged George as he saw the two and both the twins halted.

“Hey, nest head,” George said, trying to act all I’m-cool-and-have-nothing-to-hide. Hermione narrowed her eyes while Draco smirked.  
“Sup, blondie!” Fred said in a similar manner. The smirk dropped. Draco took a few steps forward.

“What are you two doing here?” he asked “, weren’t you guys done with this hellhole of learning escapades and patrolling duties?”

The twins simultaneously rolled their eyes, “For us, it was a heaven of beautiful quiddich playing girls, pranks and food,” Fred grinned.    
“And firewhiskey,” added George.   
“And firewhiskey,” Fred nodded, “Well… we came to drop dad off at Dumby’s.”  
George nodded, a little too fervently, “Yeah…and we should get going.”

George left without a backwards glance while Fred stood awkwardly for a moment before whispering a “see ya” and following his brother.

Hermione stared after them, “Why do I get the feeling that they’re lying?”  
Draco shrugged, “A tale for a later day. Now I need answers.” He bought his arm out of his cloak and sure enough the skull still glowed a light magenta.

Hermione nodded. “Dumbledore is with Mr. Weasley. So Snape it is.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“It’s a curse. You’ve been bound to Ms. Granger due to both of you wearing some of your scars outside your body.” Snape continued speaking unabashed while the two students continued to shrink in their seats. Apparently, the word _bound_ had very… intimate implications.

“But professor, in the dream…” Hermione began but Snape cut her off. His eyes appeared focused, determined.   
“Yes, Ms. Granger. This… entity is very damaging. It feels the protection Draco has given you and your friends and it is using it against you. Your scars do not glow in pain, children. On the contrary, they glow to protect you.”

Draco scowled. “Protect us? How?”  
“The entity is being controlled by someone very powerful. Someone with a deep vendetta against Ms. Granger. Your scars are your shield against that power.” The professor pursed his brows. “I believe, they are the only thing keeping the entity from killing you two in your sleep.”

The door to the office knocked loudly.   
“Do we have to, Harry. He’s gonna midnight kill us.” Ron’s voice came from outside the door.   
“Shut up, Ron.”

Snape stood up and flung open the door. Outside stood a very disgruntled Harry and a very scared Ron. However as soon as he spotted Draco and Hermione sitting inside, his fear turned quickly to anger. He started to walk inside.  
“What are you…?” Ron stopped talking as his face hit an invisible barrier and he bounced back. Draco resisted the urge to laugh – though not very hard.

“What do you want?” Snape drawled.

Harry stepped forward and lifted his messy hair from his forehead. The lightening shaped scar glowed red. Ron pulled his jumper down a little and his horcrux locket shaped burn glowed the same color.

“What is going on?” Hermione stood up. Ron’s eyes lit up a bit when his eyes reached Hermione’s arm. Probably thinking that the trio was now officially part of the unofficial glowy teens club. Draco rolled his eyes. _Morons._

He turned to face his professor, “What is going on, professor?” Snape had always been close to Draco, being his professor, godfather and ally and if Severus Snape couldn’t lie to a person, that was Draco Malfoy. Snape looked to the floor for a second before looking back at the four children.

“There’s been a break in Azkaban prison. The dementors have turned against us again. There’s a new terror collecting in the wizarding world.” Ron swore angrily while three people hushed him.

“Continue, professor,” Draco said.

Snape rolled his eyes, “ _surprisingly_ , whatever the new evil is,” Hermione’s mind flashbacked to Draco-not-Draco, “it doesn’t like you four.” Snape went to his desk and grabbed two sets of keys.

“Which means…” he handed one set to Draco and one to Harry, “you four need to get out of this castle as soon as you can. These keys open to a hidden room behind Professor McGonagall’s office. It will take you to Grimauld’s place.”

Snape stopped talking suddenly.  
“Professor, what…” Ron started.   
“Shut up, Mr. Weasley.”   
“You can’t boss …”  
“SHUT UP WEASLEY!!!” Draco stared at his professor who seemed to be listening to something only he could hear. 

A huge blast echoed through the castle, shaking the newly renovated school.

“What was that?” Harry said.   
“It’s coming,” Snape whispered.

The three friends turned on their heels and sped towards the castle. Draco rolled his eyes before following. He stopped when his professor grabbed him by the neck of his robe.

“What?” he turned.   
“You mustn’t go Draco, it is more hostile towards you than any of them.”

“But you said it had a vendetta against Granger.”  
“I lied Draco, you mustn’t go!”

  
Draco shook him off, “Those three idiots are my life’s mission. I’m not gonna let them walk into this alone.”  
“Draco,” he turned to see fear in his godfather’s eyes – a feeling he rarely, if ever, exhibited, “be careful. It _will_ hurt you.”

Much surprise! Everything and everyone in his damn entire life had hurt him. He turned and gave his professor a reassuring look, “Duly noted.” Before he turned and ran after the golden fucking trio with their damn fucking hero syndromes.

 

 

 

 

 


	6. Let’s kill tonight!

Draco hurried through the commotion and destruction of the great hall trying to find the goldenly stupid trio.

“Draco!!!”   
He turned and saw Blaise running towards him, Theo in tow.   
“What the fuck is going on?” Theo asked as soon as they were within earshot.   
“Life threatening shit you know, the usual.” Draco ran deeper into the chaos, his friends behind him. Students were running everywhere, professors were trying to get the commotion under control – to not much avail.

The blast had come from the Gryffindor towers, blasting a half of it into nothing. No lives had been lost but everyone had chosen to fucking scream in the great hall. Draco kept searching the heads of the students, towering over nearly everyone.

“Ginny!!!” Hermione’s scream caused him to turn. Levitating midair was the only Weasley female. She floated inside the great hall – surrounded by six children who looked like first years. Their faces held a far off look as they kept their wands held high in their tiny hands. The children had formed a circle around the floating Ginny as if protecting her.

The crowd cleared a bit and Draco saw the three idiots just a few paces from him. Ron drew out his wand and charged at the circle of first years enclosing a floating Ginny.

One of the first years waved his wand and Ron flew across the room, landing in an unconscious heap on the floor. Harry charged behind him. He also hit the floor in record time.

Draco’s already alabaster skin paled. Had the first years just cast a very complex spell – nonverbally?

“The fuck…?” Theo marveled behind him.  
“Stay close,” Draco told his two friends.

“ _You!!!”_ Ginny pointed at Draco. Her voice coming fast and raspy like a gust of wind.

“She’s pointing at you,” Blaise leaned in and whispered.  
“Yes, I’ve noticed,” Draco looked around. Every head was turned, watching him. Hermione stood a few paces out – frozen. Ginny’s finger turned next to her.  
“ _And you!”_ she said, “ _Come to me.”_

Draco narrowed his eyes. Drawing out his wand he started forward, both his friends behind him. He grasped Hermione’s arm and pulled her behind him as he continued walking towards Ginny.

“Theo. Blaise,” he whispered.   
“What?”  
“I can fix her, get me close.”

He couldn’t look back but knew that his friends must’ve nodded. The circle of first year security broke apart and let the four of them enter. Draco waited for the floating redhead to say something and when she didn’t, he improvised brilliantly.

“Sup?” Theo and Blaise stared at him while Hermione drew out her own wand.

“ _Die now.”_

Draco smirked, “Not today.”

Blaise and Theo turned in a perfect semicircle, stupefying the students before anyone could react as Draco took two huge strides and grabbed Ginny by the nape of her neck. Placing his wand on her forehead, he whispered _cognizuant._

Ginny fell, and Draco caught her before she hit the ground. Turning around he saw Snape enter the hall. “Leave,” his professor mouthed.

Draco nodded. Handing over the still unconscious Ginny to Theo, he turned towards Granger.

“Go to Potter, we need to get out.”

“No, you do not!” Dumbledore’s booming voice filled the great hall as he came inside, looking around in surprise. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Snape flinch. “I have one small drink with our new minister and the entire school goes nuts – and I’m not talking peanuts.”

Hermione pursed her eyebrows, _why was the headmaster acting this cheerful?!!_ Then she looked around and saw that the entire school was here. He was avoiding panic.

Dumbledore glared at the now conscious Harry and Ron. Ginny stirred in Theo’s arms. Professor McGonagall hurried towards her, grabbing her from Theo. The circle of stupefied first years also began to stir as Blaise waved his wand.

“Professor Snape, please get these… students along with the first years and come to my office. The rest of you go to bed. Ms. Weasley does get the prankster gene.” Dumbledore turned and left. The students looked apprehensively at Draco who was too fucking shocked to be fazed.

He turned and started helping the children to their feet as the crowd started to mumble and disperse.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

“You need to be careful Draco,” Dumbledore peered at him above his half-moon spectacles, “many wizards still hold you in contempt. We cannot have you and your peers stupefying first years because they were sleepwalking.”

“Professor…” Draco started.

“Now, now Mr. Malfoy. No explanations are required,” Dumbledore winked at him, gesturing towards the scared first years. Draco nodded.

Everyone turned as the door opened to reveal Ginny walking in, led by a very irate Professor McGonagall. Draco wasn’t blind to how Theo straightened up.

“She remembers nothing,” the professor informed. Everyone in the room groaned.   
“Not nothing!” Ginny said. Dumbledore raised his hand to silence Ginny and waved his hand in the direction of the first years, casting a silencing spell. He nodded once towards Ginny.

“I was sleeping, professor and…” she stopped talking.   
“And?” Dumbledore asked kindly.   
“And Draco he… he was near my bed.” Ginny looked at Draco who looked back at her. “But it wasn’t Draco. It was something else.”  
The word “something” didn’t go unnoticed by anyone in the room. Ginny continued, “It beckoned me over towards itself and… I couldn’t say no. And then I blacked out.”

Ginny’s eyes started to tear.   
“Professor,” she looked up at Dumbledore, “Does this have something to do with the diary again?”  
“Not at all, Ms. Weasley. What you saw had nothing to do with Tom Riddle’s diary. This was not your fault.”

Ginny nodded a little as a tear fell down her cheek.   
“Mr. Nott, Mr. Zabini, please see to it that all students are back in bed. Then sleep yourself.” Theo and Blaise stood up and left. Dumbledore turned to Harry, “Harry, take Ms. Weasley and Ron to the Gryffindor tower. Stay with her.”

Harry and Ron nodded before taking Ginny and exiting.

“Headmaster. Where will the students sleep tonight? Seeing as their part of the Gryffindor tower is… unavailable?” Snape drawled, looking exceptionally bored.

Hermione stood up, “They can bunk in our common room.”  
“Wait… what?” Draco sat up.

Hermione took no notice and continued. Ron and Harry had already been sent up to their dorms and Draco was surely not gonna come up with a productive solution.

“I can enlarge the common room, it is a fairly simple spell… and they can bunk in there till the tower is repaired.” Hermione finished, trying to ignore Draco’s glare and head shaking.

Dumbledore clapped his hands jovially, “That’s settled, and Mr. Malfoy please escort the children to the Head’s lake portrait.” Hermione stood up to leave.

“Ms. Granger, sit down. I need a few more words with you.”

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Hermione walked through the corridors, her mind still at what the headmaster had said.

“Draco Malfoy needs your protection.”

 _Like hell he needs my protection. He’s perfectly capable of handling himself,_ Hermione thought as her mind went to the amazingly synchronized stunt the three slytherins had pulled in the great hall.

 _He looked hot didn’t he?_ Her brain asked.  
_Did not! Shut your mouth._ She told her brain.   
_I don’t have a mouth._ Her brain said, being completely inconsiderate.

“Lake,” she said to the portrait, which flung open to reveal Draco sitting casually in his armchair, facing her. A new door was present in the common room, probably leading to sleeping space for the first years. Hermione shut the portrait door behind her and climbed inside.

“So…” Draco asked.   
“So?”   
“What did he say?”  
“None of your business.”

Draco narrowed his eyes. Hermione stared back, trying to look Gryffindor-ish when he stood up and ambled towards her.   
“What did he say?” he asked, towering over her.   
Hermione smiled, “None. Of. Your. Business.” She ducked under him and went to her room, making sure to slam the door behind her.

Draco frowned. He had been quite sure the intimidating approach would work. She always seemed somewhat intimidated by him, acting all blushy and feisty whenever he was in the vicinity. She must be trying very hard to keep the Head’s words inside. Which made Draco wanna hear them all the more.

 _Hmmm,_ Draco smirked, _time a teach Hermione Granger a lesson._

 

 

 


	7. Is it still me that makes you sweat?

** A/N  ** **OKAY!!! Officially my favorite chapter. This was hard to write but I hope I did the two justice. Low on plot but sweeter than candy!!! Also guys please vote!**

Hermione woke up to the sounds of horses, or a stampede… or kids. Lots of kids.

“Shit,” she said getting up and running to the door. She flung it open and the commotion stopped almost instantly.

In the common room stood six children, first years, with an assortment of banned, dangerous stuff. They looked like they were in a candy store as they played with fanged Frisbees and flaming vials, extendable ears and cheap magical masks.

Hermione’s first instinct was to call Draco and inform him of this chaos, but then she saw him. Sitting in his armchair, his feet on the common room desk. A antagonizing (perfect) smile on his face as he drank from a bottle of firewhiskey.

Hermione felt fury surge through her. This wasn’t an act of unruliness, the kids were following orders _. His orders._

She waved her wand and the illegal items disappeared. The few groans that followed were silenced by one look from Hermione.

“Bed. Now,” she said. The kids didn’t need to be told twice. The left silently, some giving Draco a thumbs up or a wink before leaving. Hermione descended the few steps from her room to the common room. She walked towards Draco until she was right in front of him. The fact that she was standing while Draco was sitting gave her some confidence.

“Explain yourself,” she said to the arrogant (and shit he’s hot) blond sitting in the armchair.   
“Don’t need to.”   
“Yes, you do need to.”  
“I’ll explain if you tell me what the headmaster said to you.”

Hermione rolled her eyes, so this was what it was about. As Draco raised his hand to take a swig of firewhiskey, hermione outstretched her arm. The bottle came gracefully flying towards her hand.

In a second Draco was on his feet and lunging for the bottle. Hermione kept swinging her hand away from Draco, backing away until she hit the wall. Draco smirked as if to say, “Trapped now.”

She tried to make a run for her room, but saw her way blocked by Draco Malfoy’s arms on both sides. Draco stared back, his eyes at the bottle of firewhiskey still clutched in Hermione’s hand. Hermione’s breath hitched when Draco lunged forward. He stopped when he realized how close the two were, his eyes sparkling with mischief. He feigned seriousness as he stared at Hermione.

She was wearing those high collared nightdresses and she reminded Draco of his mother’s expensive porcelain dolls, and Draco noticed for the first time how much she had changed, _grown¸_ from the buck toothed, bushy haired, insufferable know-it-all.

She was still a know-it-all, but being pretty made her sufferable. Hermione looked at Draco, his smirk dropped from his face as he looked back, cocking his slightly to one side.

“What?” Hermione whispered.   
“You’re pretty,” Draco whispered back, before his mind could come up with the most offensive way to say it, the most Malfoy way.

Hermione’s eyes widened as her mouth parted slightly and Draco tried not to stare too long at those full, pink lips. But Hermione clasped her lips tightly when she saw the grey eyes lower slightly from her eyes to her lips.

Draco smirked as bent down, ever so slightly, completely expecting a slap, and was surprised when Hermione leaned just a micrometer towards him. _Curious,_ he thought.

Suddenly, Draco snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her into him. Her head colliding with his chest as she let out an audible gasp. The firewhiskey dropped from her slacked hand and Draco caught it with his exceptional reflexes.

“Thanks for the poison, Granger,” Draco turned and climbed the steps to his room before he turned back. Hermione stared daggers after him, and Draco was sure that if looks could kill, he would be dead. Then brought back to life, then dead again.

“Oh, and tell Dumby I can take care of myself.”

Draco had looked inside her memories and heard what the headmaster had warned Hermione about. Although he was unnerved, what unnerved him more was what else he had seen when he had Hermione cornered under him.

XXXXXXXXXXX

“Okay okay, lemme hear it again,” Ginny said, getting herself under some semblance of control, “You _wanted_ him to kiss you?”

Hermione sighed, “No, Ginny. I didn’t want him to pull back. Although I have no idea why I wanted that.”

“So he could kiss you?”

“No.”

“Oh,cmonnn”

“No. For Merlin’s sake, Ginny. He must have done something, a charm? To make me you know…”

“Hot and bothered?” Ginny volunteered.

“NO!” Hermione huffed, “on edge.”

They were sitting in the grounds overlooking the lake. Ginny had been explaining how Dean Thomas was making efforts to get her back. And had asked Hermione how things were going with their favorite blond ferret. Hermione had made the mistake of telling her everything.

“Purrrleassseee,” Ginny reclined back on the grass on her back, “and what did you say he did in the morning?”

Hermione furrowed her brows. It had been three days since the first years had bunked with them and Draco had gotten her hot. No, on edge. Since then Draco had been very… detached.

“Nothing, Ginny,” Hermione said, “I think something’s wrong with Dra- Malfoy. He’s been very…”

“What?”

“Silent.”

“And how is that a bad thing?”

“He didn’t gloat about getting in my mind in the morning. He didn’t say anything. He just left for classes. It makes no sense.” Hermione frowned.

“No more dreams?” Ginny asked, she had – much to Hermione’s annoyance – found the entire thing very romantic.

“Nopes,” Hermione sighed, “That’s good is you ask me. I’m not very fond of that harbinger of destruction Malfoy.”

Ginny smirked, “And you _are_ fond of the other?”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “He isn’t that bad when he’s not brooding.” Then her thoughts became distracted when she saw him and his friends coming out of the castle into the grounds. Hermione smiled at the group but as soon as Malfoy met her eye he looked away. Changing their direction they started walking away from her. Hermione scowled.

Ginny sighed, “Well, he’s hot.”

“Well, he’s stupid.”

“What’s got you?”

Hermione looked at her friend. “He’s ignoring me.”

“He’s always ignoring you – me – us. That never stopped you from crushing on him before.”

“I have _never_ crushed on him, Ginny Weasley.”

“Oh cmon!! You were literally smitten till like fourth year. Then you just lost hope.” Ginny’s face fell. Hermione knew she was thinking about Harry. Their relationship hadn’t lasted the war. Neither had hers and Ron’s, though Hermione was under the impression Ron was still pining for her.

“It’s okay Gin.”

Ginny looked up, shaken from her reverie. She smiled slightly.

“Padma is gonna slip him amortentia.”

Hermione’s eyes widened, “Who? Draco? Where did that come from?”

“I heard her saying that in the common room.”

“But she doesn’t even like him… does she?” Hermione racked her brains to find one instant where Padma Patil might have shown attraction towards Draco Malfoy. She found none.

“C’mon Hermione. It’s like Harry with being “The chosen one” again. He’s a hero plus he’s loaded. Every girl in this school would give her left arm to be in your place.”

“My place?”

“You know, same dorms, head girl and stuff.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. He wasn’t _that_ hot. She stared at Draco near the other end of the river. He was reading something with Theo while Blaise was talking to a girl. _Well okay, maybe he is._

XXXXXXXXXXX

“Draco.” Theo whispered.

He looked up from his book, “What?”

“Do you think weaselette’s hot?”

Draco’s eyes followed his friends gaze and landed on the two girls he had avoided earlier. He tried to ignore Hermione and focus on the redhead. It didn’t do much good.

“Yeah, she’s cool.”

Theo rolled his eyes, “That, Draco is the exact antonym of what I just asked you to confirm.”

Draco smirked, “Theo, I love it when you talk grammar to me.”

Theo laughed. Draco stared at the retreating figure of Hermione.

“She’s pretty.”

“I know right! I mean look at those hair,” Theo looked at the mane of red hair.

Draco eyes moved up to the bushy mane of brown hair, “Not her best feature but they do look nice if she tames them a bit.”

Theo frowned, “Uh…okay. But those curves, Draco.”

Draco smiled, “Yep. But she hides herself under those bulky clothes, I mean, what does a guy gotta do to look?”

“Draco… she’s wearing a summer dress and stockings.” Theo frowned.

Draco looked at Hermione. Slacks and a bulky sweatshirt. He looked at the girl next to her, his eyes widening as realization hit.

“Umm, Theo, Who the fuck are you talking about?”

“Who are _you_ talking about?” Theo smirked, knowing _exactly_ who he was talking about.

 Draco lowered his head, closing his book. Busted!

Theo turned towards Blaise.

“Blaise, leave the girl alone and come here a moment!” he called, “Draco’s gonna confirm something for us and you owe me ten galleons.”

“You placed a bloody bet?” Draco scowled.

“Yep,” Theo smirked, “I can read you like the daily prophet.”

Draco rolled his eyes.

“What the fuck is up?” Blaise sat next to them, his girlfriend walking back to the castle.

“He likes Granger,” Theo said.

Blaise blinked, “You, what?” he looked at Draco, his eyes wide.

“I might have a slight liking towards Granger,” Draco admitted and Blaise rolled his eyes.

“Theo called it back in fourth year dude,” he dug into his pocket and paid Theo ten Galleons.

“You’re cashing a bloody four year old bet?” Draco asked.

“Totally!” Theo grinned, “Now… tell us something we don’t fucking know.”

“I just did.”

“No,” Blaise smirked, “You’ve liked the Gryffindor princess since you saw her. You’ve got something up your lily white ass bothering you. Spill.”

“You guys are worse than fucking girls.”

“We know.” Both of them said together.

“I think…” Draco started, “She kinda likes me too.”

Blaise said a loud “HA!” while Theo groaned, handing his newly won ten galleons back to Blaise.

“I still don’t know why I befriended you two.” Draco groaned.

“Oh paleasee!!!” Theo waved his hand, “you’d be stuck with Crabbe and Goyle if we hadn’t pitied you.”

“What makes you think she likes a git like you?” Blaise asked, very seriously.

“I…umm.”

The two friends waited.

“I looked into her mind and saw her thinking about us fucking snogging.”

Blaise froze as Theo choked on air. Crush was a pretty good word to describe that sort of infatuation because _crushed_ is exactly how Draco felt.

 

 


	8. Things are shaping up to be pretty odd.

“You will work alone Ms. Granger.”  
Hermione sighed in relief as the potion master moved away. She had been working with Malfoy for the last couple of days and their resigned silence had made the work very difficult and antagonizing. Now however, Hermione moved over her cauldron with a practiced grace. Adding ingredient after ingredient.

Even though the rest of the students were working in pairs, comprising of opposing houses (this inter house unity was getting on everyone’s nerves). Hermione finished her potion in record time. Still, her mind wasn’t far from Draco.

He had insisted on attending each of the lessons. Hardly talking to her but remaining civil. Why was he absent right now? He wasn’t sick. She had seen him only this morning.

As the three friends walked out of the potions classroom, Harry and Ron turned away. They had Quidditch practice in the afternoon and although they had asked her to watch, Hermione had told them she wanted to read a little. What she hadn’t told them was she wanted to read on shared dreaming.

Hermione weaved through the crowd of students with an apt training, until she reached the corridor leading to the library. She saw the younger Greengrass sister snogging the life out of a grey haired, pale skinned tall boy.   
“Malfoy?!” Hermione screwed up her face in disgust.

The kiss broke apart. Astoria Greengrass looked at Hermione with a slight blush creeping on her cheeks.   
“What?” Draco replied, sounding if anything, extremely tired.  
“Is this why you’re skipping class?” Hermione folded her arms on her chest and narrowed her eyes, “So you can snog girls.”

Draco rolled his eyes, before untangling himself off Astoria and walking towards Hermione.  
“Yeah! That is _exactly_ why I have been skipping classes, Granger. Now get out of my way.”   
“No,” Hermione sidestepped him, “Do you know how much work I did alone today?”

She had enjoyed it, yes. Didn’t mean it wasn’t a lot. She looked down and saw a yellowing, old piece of parchment sticking out of Malfoy’s pocket. Instinctively she reached for it.

“Uh uh!” Draco stepped back.  
“What’s that?”   
“It’s something called none of your business,” Draco stepped away, again to have his path blocked by Hermione.

“What are you up to?”   
“I was snogging Astoria,” He gestured back at the girl who giggled, “What do you think I was up to?”   
Hermione took a step forward, “You _know_ what I mean.”  
“Actually I don’t,” He grasped Hermione’s shoulders and pushed her away, “Now, excuse me.” He started down the corridor.

“Astoria!” Hermione called, the girl looked up at her, smiling, “Fifty points from slytherin.” The smile dropped.  
“For fucking _what?”_ Draco stopped in the corridor and turned back.   
“For acting unruly.” Hermione smiled.

Draco huffed as Hermione smirked and began walking down to the library, stopping when she heard Draco say, “Astoria!” The girl looked up again.  
“A hundred points to slytherin.”  
“For what exactly?!” Hermione turned back.   
“For being an _excellent_ kisser.” He smirked, before turning away and leaving.

 

xxx

Hermione turned the corner coming face to face with the lake portrait.   
“Lake,” she spoke firmly.

The portrait opened, letting her in. She stepped inside and saw not the joint head common room but what looked like the headmaster’s office, and with a sense of misconception so strong it almost had a texture, Hermione turned and saw no portrait there.

 _I’m dreaming again._ Hermione said doubtfully.

She heard Dumbledore’s voice coming from deeper in the office and started towards it. Edging slowly, keeping her wand hand on the ready. The corridor opened and she was in the main atrium of Dumbledore’s office. Dumbledore stood straight ahead of her, his back turned to her.

“I gave you a chance… I don’t understand,” he appeared to be talking to someone in front of him. Hermione started walking towards the side, squinting to make out the person in front of the headmaster. The man was standing near the back window with the moon directly behind him, blotting him in darkness.

“Why? How could you betray everyone like this?”  
“Betray? Oh, professor! It’s who I am,” the man moved to the right and gasped as Draco Malfoy, looking like the very real Draco Malfoy, pointed his wand at Dumbledore.   
“ _Imperio!”_

Xxx

She sat up in her bed, breathing deeply and ran for the door. Once outside she turned towards Malfoy’s room. The door was ajar and the room was empty.  She turned and ran down the steps, stumbling twice over the cloak she had hastily pulled on.

The portrait opened and she ran out of it, through the deserted corridors of Hogwarts, towards the Headmaster’s office. She stopped short when she heard someone chortling in a classroom. She went towards it and threw open the door. She needed help, anyone would do.

“Hermione?” Fred asked.   
“Watcha doin up?” George asked.

They were sitting on chairs while Tonks sat cross-legged on the desk with a duck’s bill on her face instead of a nose. Before Hermione’s mind could question what the three of them were doing in the castle, however, her body was pulling them towards the door.

“What..?!” Fred asked, scowling.  
“Malfoy,” Hermione started breathlessly, “he… Dumbledore.”  
Tonks walked up to her and placed her hand on her shoulder, “What is it dear?”

Hermione looked at all three of them, “just come,” and turned and ran again. The footfalls behind her told her that they had heeded.

“Butterscotch.” She half said, half yelled at the gargoyle that sprung to life. She jumped on one of the stairs and took out her wand. She stepped off as the spinning stairs stopped. Fred, George and Tonks behind her. All of them had their wands out, looking puzzled but determined.

She started walking towards the atrium. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk talking to Malfoy, who had his wand out and was spinning it in his fingers while he listened to the professor. Dumbledore stopped talking when he saw the group walk in, his eyebrows raised.

“Granger?” Malfoy asked, “Th’fuck are you doin up?”   
“The professor’s under the imperius curse.”

Draco scowled at Hermione before turning towards Dumbledore, his eyes scrutinizing the older man’s face.   
“Wha…?”  
“Don’t deny it!” Hermione yelled.   
“Deny _what?”_ Malfoy had stood up now, his eyes narrowing at Hermione.  
“ _You_ cursed him.”

The people behind Hermione gasped and straightened up, pointing their wands at Draco, whose own wand was still in his unraised hand.

“I did not.”   
Before Hermione had retaliated, Tonks had shifted her wand to the professor.   
“ _Revelio,”_ she whispered.

A pale yellow light raised out of Dumbledore’s head and dissipated. Everyone in the room gasped, including Draco as the professor, now free of the imperius curse, fell unconscious to the floor. Draco had a split second before four wands turned on him shooting several spells and in a moment, he was on his knees, bound – cuffed – disarmed.

Tonks walked to him, disappointment evident in her eyes and crouched down.

“I didn’t do it,” Draco whispered.   
“We’ll see, dear nephew,” Tonks replied, before waving her wand at him.

Draco disappeared from the room, but not before he had shot Hermione one last death glare, who returned it with interest.

“Where’d you send him?” Fred asked, masking his own disappointment.  
“The ministry. He stays there until it can be confirmed he cast the spell.” Tonks replied.  
“Speaking of which,” George turned to Hermione, “How did you know?”   
“Wait!” Tonks said, “Let me call McGonagall and Kingsley. Then you can tell how you knew.” She raced out of the office.

Fred and George walked to professor Dumbledore. The latter casting a softening charm on the floor where he had fell. The twins crouched down next to Dumbledore.

“What’d you reckon?” Fred asked.  
“Dunno. Maybe he…”

The door burst open and McGonagall ran inside behind her were Ron and Harry. Behind them were Blaise and Theo. Hermione had a split second to smile at her friends before Theo pushed her into the wall by her shoulders.

“ _WHAT DID YOU DO?!”_

Before Hermione could reply however, Harry had pulled Theo off of her and thrown him to the floor. Only Blaise was standing right there and caught him before he fell. Zabini looked at Hermione with disappointment evident in his eyes.

“You have no idea what you just did, do you?” Hermione frowned. Did she?

Theo stepped away from Blaise. Staring at everyone in the room, before his gaze rested at Hermione’s face.

“If you so much as touch Malfoy without incriminating evidence, I will kill the lot of you.”

“Speaking of evidence,” Professor McGonagall spoke for the first time- tiredness evident in her eyes as she stared at Dumbledore’s unmoving, unconscious body. “The Malfoy boy is taking veritaserum at this moment. We should all watch the proceedings.”

“So that’s what you’re calling Draco now?” Blaise smirked, “The ‘Malfoy boy’?”   
Professor McGonagall closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them, she waved her wand and a white mist flowed from it. Forming Draco Malfoy’s face. Everyone watched as a person – the trio identified the voice as Kingsley’s – asked Draco questions.

“You were found in company of Albus Percival Dumbledore whilst he was recently imperiused?”  
“Yes.” Draco nodded, looking exceptionally bored.  
“Did you cast that imperius curse?”   
“No, sir.”

Kingsley handed Draco a clear liquid that he chugged down. His boredom vanished from his face as his eyes became suddenly emotionless. Hermione shuddered, remembering the Empty Dream Draco.  
“Did you cast the imperius curse on Albus Dumbledore?”   
“Yes.”

The entire crowd gasped as Draco reeled back, as if he couldn’t control what was coming out of his mouth.   
“You did?”

He appeared to be fighting it now, shutting his silver eyes and he shook his head.  
“N… not verita… no. this…”  
“Did you cast the curse, Draco Malfoy?”   
“Yes.” Draco sucked in a breath as his eyes closed and his face scrunched up in pain.

The face disappeared and Hermione tried beyond trying but could just not feel smug. Because in her mind she knew something had happened. Something was happening.

“Okay so… where is the boy?!” the office door opened and Kingsley stepped inside. Every head turned to him and then to the spot where Draco’s head had been moments ago.

“Kingsley,” Professor McGonagall whispered, “Why are you not at…”  
“The Ministry? Draco Malfoy was not there. So I came back to the castle.”  Kingsley said in his thick voice.

Hermione whipped out her wand and pointed it at Tonks, who was slowly edging out the room.  
“STOP!” she screamed, and then under her breath, “ _revelio.”_

Tonks changed before everyone’s eyes, her bubblegum hair turning into black ringlets, her smile turning into a sneer.  
“Hello, mudblood,” Bellatrix Lestrange smiled before waving her hand across the room and stunning everyone.

The death eater crossed the room in three hops and kneeled next to the stunned Hermione, grinning broadly.

“Draco Malfoy will die,” her words settled somewhere on Hermione’s shoulder, before stretching and entering her ears, “You and your friends are next mudblood.”

“ _Hell no!”_ Hermione’s words reverberated inside her own head, unable to spill out of her stunned mouth. Bellatrix’s hand brushed the top of Hermione’s head and she blacked out.

XXX

She was bound to a working table. Her eyes were weighing down like sash weights. A rope was burrowing itself into her wrists. In front of her in a wooden chair sat The Harbinger of Destruction Malfoy, looking very happy as he grinned his inhuman grin.

“Hello, love.”  
Hermione tried speaking, but found that she couldn’t.

“Oh, I silenced you. Like all good know-it-alls I find that you just talk way too much.” He smiled again. Walking to her he put a hand on her forehead, like her mother used to while checking for a fever.

Excruciating pain tore through her body. Ripping her apart and sewing her back. If hell was this, Hermione would surely be keeping an eye on her sins. As soon as the hand was removed from her forehead the pain abated.

“You, girl, are so smart. Yet so stupid.” He grinned, “You voluntarily sent your only protection away, love. What good fortune I possess.”

He blew her a kiss and she fell down. Through the table, through the floor, through the dream.

 

 


	9. There’s a residue of a torturer inside of your eyes.

She awoke gasping for breath, on the cold tiled floor of the Headmaster’s office. Two identical redheads looked down at her, their faces broke into wide grins.

“She’s awake!” Fred looked up and yelled at Kingsley and McGonagall. Both of whom were leaning over a book placed on the headmaster’s desk.

Hermione sat up shaking her head, and made to stand up but fell down as soon as she was up.

“Easy there,” George caught her.

The three children walked to where Kingsley and McGonagall stood. The professor turned as Hermione approached.

“We do not know where Draco Malfoy is currently, Ron and Harry are searching in that map of Potter’s to see if there are any more death eaters in the castle. Theo and Blaise… they broke the stun faster because of their want to save their friend. They ran out of the office just as I was coming to. They’ll come back,” she began, “Professor Dumbledore is currently paralyzed, but the imperius curse was _not_ cast by a Malfoy wand.”   
“Maybe he stole…” George began, but shut up when Fred gave him the stink eye.

McGonagall paused for a moment but started again as Hermione began to nod enthusiastically in her direction.   
“And uhh… the break in Azkaban that professor Snape told you about?”   
Hermione nodded.  
“Bellatrix is one of those who escaped, along with other…death eaters. She used a spell that allows you to impersonate your own blood. Nymphandora is her sister.”

Fred scowled, “wait what are you saying?”

“We think that the death eaters are rising again,” Kingsley spoke, “And there is now a new power leading them.”

Hermione’s mind flashbacked the Harbinger of destruction. Everyone turned as the gargoyle moved back up into the office.

“OI!!!! GOOD GITS!!!” Theo ran inside.    
“OUR FRIEND IS IN DANGER!!!!” Blaise followed.

The two slytherins looked around the place.

“Everyone’s back? Good morning, idiots!”

“Mr. Nott, Mr. Zabini, what brings you back here?” MgGonagall said with a practiced calm.

“Judging from your face and the state of this place, Professor. You’re regretting accusing Malfoy,” Blaise smirked.  
“And we are here to help you redeem yourself.” Theo completed

Kingsley stepped forward, “How?”

Theo stepped forward and raised his robe’s left sleeve.  
“There are perks of being an ex- death eater, ladies and gentlemen.”   
Theo smirked as people gasped at his mark. Theo, who had been vouched for by plenty of people, Snape, Dumbledore and the Malfoys, to name a few, touched his mark with the fingers of his right hand. The snake hissed as it slithered back inside the skull.

It came back out and traced a line against Theo arm.

“A map.” Hermione whispered.   
“Close, Granger.” Blaise smirked.  
“A word.” Theo said.

The snake kept slithering till it formed a word.

_MANOR._

“He’s at the Malfoy manor!” Hermione said, ignoring the tickle on her scar.

Theo rolled his eyes, “No! He’s at my place.”  
“What?” The professor said.   
“He’ll never go to his own house, _professor.”_  
“Why?” Kingsley repeated, frowning.   
“Because he’s not that stupid.” Blaise completed.

The two friends turned and Theo yawned loudly as the twins frowned at them.

“We’re away. Send your goodie people to my place and get him.” Theo said as the professor nodded and Kingsley started talking to a portrait on the wall. something about assembling a team of aurors. The two slytherins ambled out. Hermione looked at the people behind her, all of whom were gaping at the place where the slytherins had just exited.

“Night.” Hermione ran after them.

“Ciao!” Fred said and followed George out.

Hermione and the twins jumped down as the gargoyle came to rest and they started looking to the side to search for Blaise and Theo.

“Folks!!” Blaise stood next to gargoyle and Theo was leaning on the wall next to him. Hermione jumped and Fred and George reached towards their respective wands, stopping when they saw the guys.

“What are you doing?” Hermione asked.

“Saving our friend, come with?” Theo smirked.

“But the aurors…”

“Are going to Theo’s place. We are going to Draco’s.”

“You tricked the professors?” Fred asked.  
“We’re impressed.” George completed.

Theo winked, “Thanks Weasley and Weasley.”

The two friends stood up and started walking to the exit. Blaise turned back,  
“You coming?”

Hermione ran after them abruptly whereas the twins looked at each other.   
“I’m going.” Fred shrugged.   
“I’m not letting you go alone.”

The five people walked through the corridors looking for the closest secret passage.

“Hello, Hermione!” A dreamy voice dinned itself into everyone’s ears. They jumped.

“Oh, it’s just loony!” Theo breathed in relief and yelped in pain when another girl standing next to Luna elbowed him sharply.

“Luna. Luna Lovegood.” Ginny said.

“Hey, Luna!” Hermione smiled at the blond, trying to stop her fidgeting, and look less suspicious.   
“What’chu doing?” Ginny asked, her eyes narrowing at Hermione.  
“Nothing!” Theo and Hermione replied in unison.

Ginny raised her eyebrows, “Can I assist you in this _nothing?”_  
“Oooohh, yes! Please!” Luna chirped.  
“No!” Blaise said, his eyes studying Luna.

“Yes!” both girls screamed.

“NO!” even the twins had joined in.

Ginny turned on her brothers, “So, you two can go on whatever rescue mission you’re going on, but _we_ can’t come?”

“What rescue mission?” the twins said.

“We overheard you,” Ginny smirked.  
“You little…” Fred began, advancing on Ginny.

“STOP!” Theo screamed, “We’re wasting time. Just bring the incessant fucking redhead already!”

Ginny smirked at Theo, while he made a face in reply.

“And the vaguely cute ravenclaw?” Blaise pointed at Luna.  
“Fucking bring her too for Salazar’s sake.” Theo screamed already walking with Hermione.

Luna smiled.

And It was settled.

XXX

 

 He leaned against the doorframe, exhaustion running in waves through his body. His face had lost any color it ever had and he looked as if an itch could break him into two. The taller man was resting all his weight on the tired boy, his unconscious body being half carried half dragged by the exhausted kid. He draped the older man’s arm across his neck and continued walking through the moonlit house.

The woman was kneeling on the floor in the living room, her tears had long since dried up and she sat, her head resting on her knees as she silently prayed. She heard footsteps and quickly drew her wand, her breath coming out as puffs of white smoke in the chilly air. She waited.

“Thank Merlin!” she exclaimed as soon as the two men came into view. Dropping her wand she ran to them. Hugging them both fiercely. The woman and the boy carried the unconscious man to a couch and laid him down. The family house elf was sent to prepare a healing potion and an energy draught.

“How did you get out? I thought you had no chance.” The woman spluttered amid fresh tears.

The boy smirked, “We’re the Malfoys, mum. We always have a chance.”

Narcissi smiled, although she was crying. Her son had the ability to do that. Make her smile, beside her grief. He was his father’s son.

“How is Lucius?”

Draco’s face dropped slightly, “He took a curse for me, mum. I wasn’t enough.”   
“Oh, Draco,” Narcissa smiled, “You will always be enough. Lucius,” she looked at her husband, healing under the effect of the healing potion, “will heal, my dear.”

Draco leaned back until his head rested in his mother’s lap.

“Why did you let him come?”   
Narcissa smirked, “I _sent_ him, Draco. Family looks out for you.”

“I can look out for myself.”   
“Sure you can.”   
“Dad was pretty badass there.”

Narcissa grinned, “Really?”   
“Yeah. He shot a killing curse at Bellatrix but…missed.”

“Hmph! Did you figure out who’s the new evil thingy?”

Draco frowned, “It isn’t my evil twin, that’s for sure.”  
“So that weird incarnation?”   
“Is a vehicle. Vehicle for fear. A … harbinger of bad news, I guess.”  
“So what is it?”  
“I don’t know,” Draco sighed, “But it’s a person. And they’re extremely powerful.”

Narcissa ran a hand through her son’s silver hair. His eyes glinted and reflected the moon’s light.

“What will you do?”  
“I need to get to get to Hogwarts. I need the trio in safety.”  
“How will you do that?”  
“I’ve already called reinforcements.” Draco smirked.

“Where did they take you?”  
“Black’s house. I was supposed to stay there. Away from Hogwarts until they killed everyone.”  
“But not you?”  
“Nopes,” Draco’s eyebrows drew together, “Apparently, they needed me.”   
“For what?”

“We won’t find out.” Lucius had woken up. He waved a hand when Draco started rising from his mother’s lap.

“Meaning?” Draco said, knowing the meaning.  
“You are not leaving the manor.”   
“Excuse me?” Draco screamed, getting up nonetheless.  
“Just that. They imperuised fucking Dumbledore, Draco. All to grab you. You are not going.”   
“Fuck yes, I am.”  
“FUCK NO, YOU’RE NOT!”

“FUCK HELLO EVERYBODY!!” Theo screamed from the doorway, Blaise next to him. Behind him stood Hermione, Ginny and Luna. The twins were keeping watch outside.

Draco stood up, eyeing the crowd with a scowl on his face.

“What?” Blaise said.  
“IS THIS A FUCKING FIELD TRIP?!” Draco said.

Hermione scanned Draco. He looked unhurt expect for a cut on his arm, although extremely tired. Behind him on a sofa was Lucius Malfoy. On the floor sat Narcissa.

“They volunteered,” Blaise shrugged before coming over giving a one armed hug to Draco.

“Glad you’re okay, bud.” He whispered.

Theo followed suit. The rest of the group stood at the doorway looking extremely awkward. Draco’s eyes rested on each girl, resting a little too long on Hermione who fidgeted uncomfortably. A corner of his mouth lifted.

“Hello, Granger,” Hermione looked up, “How’s our demented, untrusting little head girl doing this fine day?”

Theo and Blaise started to laugh but shut up when Ginny gave them an especially nasty look.

“She’s okay Malfoy.” Ginny said.   
“Ah! You brought a Weasley, Nott. Joy!” Draco smirked. 

“Actually, he brought three Weasleys.” Luna said matter-of-factly.

 Draco glared at Theo.

“Not the brat,” Theo breathed.   
“Ron isn’t a brat.” Ginny said indignantly.    
“Then?” Draco ignored her.   
“The twins.”

Draco shrugged, “They’re _mildly_ cool.”

Lucius was sitting up now, aided by his wife who sat on his side. 

“Draco isn’t going.” He said simply.

“YES. I. AM.”

The father and son duo continued bickering and Hermione stared at the family. At a complete and utter loss for words. The family she had always viewed as dysfunctional, power hungry and emotionless were now in an argument in which each person was trying to protect the other.

Lucius Malfoy, the materialistic, cowering death eater had changed. The change was similar to the change Hermione had noticed in Draco. His eyes, previously cold, oak and silver were kind, soft and filled with worry. His face, less rigid, was begging his son to stay back. To stay in the midst of family. There were two deep gashes across his face and one on Draco’s arm. It didn’t take Sherlock to figure out the man had been rescuing his son. Her hypothesis was confirmed with Lucius’s next sentence,

“I did not pry you from death’s claws to see you jump back into fire, Draco.”   
“Father, I was already halfway through escape. You have my gratitu…”  
“I don’t want your gratitude Draco. Act like a child for once and listen to your parents.”   
“Lucius, dear,” Narcissa tried to intervene, only to be cut off by Theo.

“OW!” he screamed, and quickly took out a Galleon from his pocket. It glowed a dark orange-red and from the way Theo was juggling it between both hands, Hermione judged it was hot.

“ _Conclution!”_  Ginny pointed her wand at Theo and the Galleon stopped in midair.   
 hand in a way that indicated, _sure sure whatever._

“Uhh, Theo. Th’fuck is that?” Draco said.

“Hogwarts,” he looked up, his eyes panic stricken, “It’s in danger.”

XXX

Harry ran through the corridors, Ron a few paces behind. He was holding the marauders map in his hand with his wand light shining over it. He was searching the castle for any death eaters and also patrolling the corridors. Telling everyone out of bed to return to their dorms. He left out the reason – danger.

He slowed as they reached the seventh floor corridor, partly out of reminiscence for the DA. He smiled a little, _fun times,_ he thought.

“Good days, eh mate?” Ron had slowed down too.  
Harry nodded as he remembered Neville struggling with expelliarmus, Ginny excelling at the bat bogey hex, teaching everyone how to cast their patronuses just as Lupin had taught him. His mind even lingered at his first kiss – Cho Chang. And he grinned.

Then he returned to the task at hand, looking down he saw his and Ron’s dots on the map just as they passed the Room of Requirement. Suddenly there was a third dot on the map, right behind him and Ron.

_Sophie Riley._

Harry turned and saw her coming out of the room, thick storybook tears running down her face. Ron turned too.

“Hey!” Ron called and the girl started, before relaxing.  
“I’m sorry,” she said timidly, “I was just missing my family. This school… it’s new to me”

Harry smiled at her, “It’s okay. You’re a slytherin right?”

Harry ignored Ron’s suspicious look.  
“Uh huh.” The girl nodded.

She was tall for a first year. Almost as tall as Ginny. With lustrous black hair, pale creamy skin and dark eyes. Even through tears her eyes were amused. As if playing with a favorite pet.

“Let’s get you there, what’d you say?” Harry smiled.

“WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING TO HER?!!”

Everyone looked up and to Ron’s horror (and Sophie’s expertly masked disappointment.) saw Pansy Parkinson coming towards them.

Ron turned to Harry, “It’s Tuesday. It’s her patrol day. We’re screwed.”

Harry put on a brave face – or tried.   
“Hello Parkinson.”  
“Shove your hello, Potter. What are you doing here? Traumatizing my house’s student with Weasley?”  She snarled in Ron’s direction, who flinched.

“We weren’t…”

Before Harry could finish however there was an almighty roar and the castle seemed to be shaking from its core.

“Wha…” Pansy started.

Harry felt the keys Snape had given him in his pockets, “Come on! We need to go!”

He took Sophie by the wrist and started running, Ron and Pansy behind him.

“What about Hermione?” Ron asked from behind him.  
“She’s Hermione, Ron. She’ll be there. She’ll be fine.” Harry called back.

“Where are we going?” Sophie asked Harry.  
“Don’t worry. We’ll be safe. Just stick with me.” Harry grinned at her.

 _Okay_ , the girl thought _, sure Boy who lived. I’ll stick with you._


	10. The lace in your dress, tangles my neck.

“At least stay safe, you stubborn stupid piece of shit.” Lucius had exhausted his capacity for pleading and huffed as he turned away from the broom’s shed of the Manor – where his son and his friends were currently standing.

“Father,” Draco called before he had walked far. Lucius turned.

“What?”   
“Take care of yourself old man.” Draco smirked.

Lucius raised his eyebrows, “Old man? Ask your mom.”   
Draco scowled while everyone in the shed groaned except the twins who looked impressed.

“ _Way_ too much information, Mr. Malfoy,” Theo murmured.   
“If you can’t talk about it you shouldn’t be doing it,” Lucius winked at Theo before giving a single worried glance at Draco.

“I’ll be off,” Lucius turned towards the manor again and resumed walking. Draco kept staring after his father until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned.

“We should umm… go.” Hermione said.   
“What’s that smell?” Draco pursed his eyebrows.   
“What smell?”   
“Guilt.” Draco smirked and pinched Hermione’s cheek before walking towards Blaise and Theo who were assigning everyone brooms. Hermione rolled her eyes.

Hermione joined the group, Ginny stood with Theo and a new broom. Fred and George had separate ones – apparently they were racing each other. Blaise was showing one to Luna. Hermione frowned.

“So… which ones of us are flooing?” she asked.

Everyone looked at her as if she was demented – even the Gryffindors. Draco stepped forward.   
“Pardon, Granger?”

Alarm started gripping Hermione as reality started setting in, “I can’t fly, Malfoy. I don’t do brooms.”

Theo rolled his eyes and Blaise pursed his eyebrows.

“Wait a mo’, you have two best friends – and a best girlfriend” Blaise nodded towards Ginny, who looked amused “who are in the Gryffindor Quidditch team. And you don’t do brooms?”

“Yes,” Hermione sighed, “I just can’t fly them.”   
“You don’t have to fly em’” Draco said.   
“Meaning?”   
“You’re flying with me, know it all.”

Hermione tried not to look nervous.  
“Why are we not flooing?”   
“ _Why are we not flooing?”_ Theo asked impatiently, “Because the floo network was cancelled in Hogwarts.”

“Take it easy, Theo,” Draco said and Theo huffed.

“Draco – dude. That coin does not trigger until there is an actual big ass danger. We need to fucking leave.”

“We’re flying Granger,” Draco turned to her, “You’re either coming or you’re not.”   
He hoped she would come.  
“Of course I’m coming, Malfoy. Let’s go!”

Hermione bit her lip as Draco grinned a little too proudly at her and uncovered another broom.

“Let’s touch the skies!!!” Draco grinned.  
“I’m gonna throw up.”

 

XXX

The castle seemed to be crumbling. The teachers were trying to get the students out of the castle. Dumbledore was lying in St. Mungo’s. This was no accident.

Harry ran, pulling Sophie Riley with him. Ron was behind him with Pansy.

“Where are we going?” she asked Ron.

“Parkinson. Just fucking come okay?”

“But Draco. And Theo and Blaise.”   
“Nott and Zabini’ll be fine. I think they’re with Mione’”

They ran until they come to Professor Snape’s office.

Harry fumbled in his robes for the key and unlocked it. He stood back and filed everyone in before entering and closing the door. The group navigated through piles of homework and two broken cauldrons until Harry came to a cupboard at the very back.

“Why is it shimmering?” Pansy asked.  
“I dunno!” Ron shrugged.

“The magic. It’s wearing off. This door’s gonna disappear.” Harry frowned. The wooden cupboard appeared and disappeared flickering like a candle flame.

Ron opened the cupboard and they saw the Dining room of Number 12, Grimmauld’s Place.

“Cmon’” Ron grabbed Pansy’s arm and jumped in.

XXX

Draco kicked off the ground and Hermione all but fell back.

He looked back and grabbed Hermione’s wrist before she could tumble to the ground. Hermione stared back at Draco – wide eyed in fear and Draco laughed.

“You’re laughing at me?” Hermione said breathlessly.   
“Yeah. You look ridiculous.”   
“I hate you!”   
“Naah, you _adore_ me.” Draco pulled in his arm and Hermione got back on the broomstick. She tried to pull her arm back in but Draco circled it around his waist. Hermione cleared her throat.

“Don’t worry, love. The Malfoy charm is not contagious.” Draco smirked and lifted off the ground again. Hermione tried to remember if Harry had ever ridden a broom with the same speed Draco was riding it. Hermione doubted it.

“Stop showing off!!!” Hermione smacked Draco on the arm.

“I wasn’t showing off.” Draco slowed down a bit in the air. Hermione’s cheeks were flushed red from the cold. Draco smiled before pointing to the ground and speeding again. Hermione screamed.

“Now I am!!!” Draco laughed.

A few seconds through their descent, Hermione stopped screaming and felt the wind hitting her face. She smiled against the water vapors of the damp London air. Finally, she started to laugh.

Draco pulled up and started going forward again.

“See? Flying ain’t half bad.”

“I’d still floo.”

“Typical.”

“What do you mean, typical?” Hermione narrowed her eyes at Draco’s back – trying not to notice how silky his hair looked in the wind. “I am _not_ typical. I am the most…”

“Shut up, Granger.” Draco stopped the broom and whispered.

“Unpredictable…”

“Shut up, Granger.”

“Interesting…”

“SHUT UP, HERMIONE!!!”

“ _What?!”_ Hermione said.

“Wands out, nest head!”

Hermione drew her wand and looked around. The air was silent – eerily so. Even the stars seemed to have dulled. The moonlight seemed dark. Suddenly, the euphoria Hermione had felt from flying with Draco seemed to be melting away – folding on itself and disappearing.

“Dementors,” they whispered together.

As if on cue three hooded figures emerged from the dark clouds and came at them. And Hermione felt time slow and reality bend upon itself.

 _The preschoolers calling her a freak – her neighbor making fun of her teeth – her own reflection struggling to brush through her hair – the entire living room levitating as a nine year old Hermione sat crying in the middle of the room with her broken doll next to her – freak – Malfoy sneering at her – mudblood – freak – Malfoy teasing her about her hair – sitting in the girl’s bathroom and shrinking her teeth – “They’re looking for mudbloods, Granger.” – Bellatrix leering above her – “I’m going to have a talk with this one. Girl-to-girl!!!” – Bellatrix’s wand burning the words_ mudblood _across her arm – hermione whispering “obliviate” over her parents – freak – mudblood._

“Granger!” She heard Draco calling.

_Mudblood!_

“Granger!” He called again.

_Freak!!!_

Hermione felt herself darkening.

“Hermione, come back to me.”

Mudb…. The memories broke off suddenly and Hermione found herself looking at more memories.

_Sitting in the dark as she lifted her books off her desk, the first euphoria of magic – entering Diagon Alley for the first time – buying her first robes – her first wand – “Hi I’m Hermione, Hermione Granger.” – Meeting Harry and Ron for the first time – trying her first chocolate frog – GRYFFINDOR!!! – learning – spells, potions, magic – entering the library for the first time._

“Hermione, come back!!!!”

_“Draco Malfoy is good!” – the head girl badge – “Let’s talk about how cool I am?” – the Hermione appearing boggart – “She’s gonna die.” “No, she isn’t.”_

“Hermione, wake the fuck up! You’re scaring me.”

_Draco’s face above her, sneering but the concern hidden not-that-carefully in his eyes. “Keep that bushy head down, Granger!”_

Hermione’s eyes fluttered open. She was lying on her back on the grassy ground. A broomstick was propped upon a tree nearby. Hermione sat up – ignoring the major headache.

“Draco!!!” she called, too fazed to notice she was using his first name.

She heard someone running and saw Malfoy coming towards her, wand in one hand. He crouched next to her.

“What the fuck, Granger. I thought you were dead.”

Draco had a second to breathe before Hermione pounced on him. Draco cringed back before realizing that Hermione was…hugging him? Hermione drew back suddenly, looking anywhere but at Draco.

“Umm… you okay?” Draco cleared his throat and said.

“Yes,” Hermione said calmly, “Where are we?”

“We’re far from Hogwarts but we’re near Number 12. We can’t apparate.”

“Why?” Hermione frowned.

“When you fainted – or whatever, and I had dealt with the dementors. I saw Bellatrix.”

Hermione’s jaw clenched and Draco glanced up at her before continuing, “She said she’d find us again. I don’t know how much magic they’ve tapped into. But I don’t wanna find out. So let’s walk the few blocks, no?”

‘How did you send her away?”

“I didn’t. She fired a curse on my broom and went away on her own as we crashed to the ground.”

Hermione looked at her watch. I said half past midnight.

“We should go,” Hermione tried to get up and her knees buckled. Draco caught her before she could hit the ground and have a possible concussion. Hermione looked up at Draco and her mind went back to the memories she had seen before waking up. The happy ones. Draco had been there. He had been in the bad ones as well. Who was Draco Malfoy? How could a person be such a Persian doll? Work through one layer and the next one’s there to greet you.

Hermione stared at Draco, his silver eyes reflecting the moonlight and his hair sticking to his forehead. She noticed Draco’s eyes darkening. Her mind told her to get up already. She didn’t listen to her mind – a first for Hermione Granger.

Draco leaned in just a millimeter and Hermione lifted her head up a micrometer. Their lips met – slowly, tentatively – for a few slow, antagonizing seconds before parting again.

They kept staring at each other as Draco tried to decipher Hermione’s expression through her face. Was she gonna kiss him? Strangle him? Punch him again?

“Draco.” Hermione whispered and any shred of hesitation or doubt Draco had melted away as he leaned in to kiss her again – properly this time.

“OI!!! MALFOY!!!!” Theo yelled.

Hermione started and stood up. This time without falling and Draco ran a hand across his hair.

“THEO!” Draco cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted. A minute later Theo, Blaise and Ginny were running towards them.

“Thank Salazar you’re okay mate.” Blaise said.

“Your dad would’ve slaughtered us,” Theo smirked before noticing the slight color in Draco’s cheeks. He met Draco’s eyes and rose his eyebrows. Draco shook his head once. Theo nodded.

“Hermione!” Ginny hugged Hermione and then drew back suddenly, “Why are you out of breath?”

Hermione shook her head and Ginny frowned.

“Where’s the rest of the madhouse?” Draco asked his friends.

“Back at Grimmauld’s place.” Blaise said.

“The castle?”

“It’s fucking broken, dude.” Theo scowled, “Like literally blasted.”

“Harry and Ron!” Hermione gasped.

“Potty..er is umm… fine.” Theo said.

“So’s Weasel. They got to Number 12 in time.” Blaise further explained.

“They got Pans with em’” Theo said and Draco frowned, “Also some slytherin first year who was with them when the castle started shaking.”

Draco scoffed, “Hero syndromes.”

They started walking and Hermione deliberately walked slow at the back of the group, while Draco walked delibaretly in the front of the group. Dragging Theo and Blaise with him.

 

**A/N: Let the fun begin?**

 

**Author's Note:**

> KUDOS AND REVIEW? XXX


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